CENTERFIELD BALLHAWK

Worrying about how he can't match his father's .375 minor-league batting average, JosÇ (9) barely notices the spectacular plays he himself makes on defense for the Peach Street Mudders. Despite evidence to the contrary, he's convinced that he's a disappointment to team and father both, but finally his father sets him straight. Christopher has come up with stronger plots, but the episodic structure and minor cliffhangers here might appeal to less able readers. Eight full-page b&w illustrations capture the high spots of this ``Springboard Book,'' though JosÇ makes one of his miraculous outfield plays with what looks like a catcher's mitt, and many figures are awkwardly posed. Rudimentary dynamics in JosÇ's motherless Hispanic family add a social dimension to the sports action. (Fiction. 8-11)