Even non-baseball fans will find Baseball 1998: the Home Run Race surprisingly satisfying. Although hampered by trite dialogue and some wooden performances, this extravaganza lives up to its billing as the feel-good family show of the summer

The show's lamentably uncredited writers wisely avoided the worst sports-movie clichés. For example, they didn't pit a too-good-to-be-true hero against a cardboard bad guy. Instead, they gave us two very different heroes.

Both Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa are, in very different ways, likeable, believable characters -- characters the viewer feels good about rooting for. While it would have been easy to build a convincing drama out of the rivalry between the two protagonists, the writers took a far more difficult -- but ultimately successful -- route. By focusing on the struggles of both men to surpass what was once considered an unbeatable record, the production makes a much more meaningful statement about the nature of human achievement.

Although the players consistently behaved like good guys, the antics of ball-catching fans provided necessary balance and comic relief. I particularly enjoyed the scene where the fan who caught McGwire's 64th home run marched into the Cardinals' club house with a list of demands. I just wish the director had cut to a reaction shot of the materialistic fan's face when home run 65 ended the fan's 15 minutes of fame.

Which is not to say that the production was flawless. Most viewers could do without the attempt to inject a note of controversy surrounding McGwire's use of a dietary supplement. And compelling as the action on the diamond was, having a hurricane strike Sosa's home island during the final stages of the race detracted from, rather than added to, the drama.

The depiction of the final weekend of the race also taxed viewer credibility. But few scenes ever seen on screen can compare with the drama and the power of McGwire hitting five home runs in three games.

A wiser director would've ended Baseball 1998: the Home Run Race with McGwire's 70th. It made the post-season games, including the World Series, look like filler. But I predict none of the show's flaws will detract from The Home Run Race's critical and box office success.

Like most fans, I'm rooting for a sequel next year. I'd rather see Baseball 1998 again than sit through even the trailer for Bill and Monica's Not-So-Excellent Adventure.

Donna Andrews