ROTISSERIE LEAGUE BASEBALL, fifth edition, by Glen Waggoner and Robert Sklar, Bantam Books, 328 pages, $12.95.

You only have to visit your local bookstore or newspaper stand to realize the start of the Major League Baseball season is just around the corner.

The flood of preseason baseball guides and magazines is bringing baseball fanatics out of the woodwork to get the early scoop on which teams are favorites, which rookies are the hottest and how their favorite teams stack up.

These days, most of the people invading the bookstores are Rotisserie League Baseball fans in a rush to arm themselves with volumes of player statistics and the most up-to-date player information.

Rotisserie, also commonly known as fantasy baseball, has become one of the fastest-growing crazes since its introduction by creator Daniel Okrent 12 years ago. This growth accounts for the popularity of “Rotisserie League Baseball – The Official Rule Book and Draft Day Guide.”

Before we go any further, the name Rotisserie League wasn’t coined from the type of grill, but from the name of the now-defunct French restaurant in Manhattan where the first league meeting was held. Since, loosely translated from French, the word rotisserie means “hot stove,” the members all agreed it was the perfect name. Good thing they weren’t eating at Wendy’s.

For those new to Rotisserie Baseball, it puts the average person in a Major League Baseball team general manager’s seat. A league is made up of a bunch of “owners” who gather annually for the Rotisserie draft. The draft is run like an auction and owners bid on current pro players such as Wade Boggs or Nolan Ryan until they each have 23 players on their fantasy rosters.

After the draft, owners make trades and pick up free agents to replace injured players much like the real Major League teams do. The team that finishes first is the team which has collected the most points. Points are earned by finishing ahead of other teams in categories such as team batting average, home runs, steals, wins and saves. A team which has the most steals in a 10-team league gets 10 points, a team that’s second gets nine, third gets eight, and so on.

Now back to the book. The fifth edition of RLB hit store shelves about a month ago and has already sold out in some stores.

The popularity of the league and its rule book notwithstanding, RLB’s fifth edition has its pluses and its minuses.

First the pluses. This latest edition has been considerably redesigned for 1991 with the Rotisserie nut in mind. The most obvious change is the book’s size and shape. The pages are 1 1/2 inches wider and an inch taller. Instead of a novel, it now looks like a textbook. The new format makes the book easier to read and refer back to.

The book’s scouting report section hasn’t changed much. It still gives dollar values for each player and his statistics. It’s still divided into sections by position. The lone addition is a mini index on each odd-numbered page which allows readers to quickly locate other position players. This added feature will come in handy on draft day.

One major addition to the book is its rookie (minor league) section which lists the best Major League prospects for the next three years. This section is organized just like the scouting reports. Each player also has a rating. This section is useful for the Rotisserian with an eye to the future.

The only other additions are rules changes for 1991 and the introduction of a new Rotisserie derivative – Rotisserie Lite – billed as “a variation for those who want to keep their jobs and spouses.”

Now for the minuses. There are only three.

Number one, the book is rushed to print too fast to incorporate winter trades and free agent movement. As a result, each edition lists players on the wrong team or league. Thus, player values and notes for these players are virtually useless.

Number two, each updated edition has continually left out various players in each league. Some of the missing have been well-known starters.

Number three, this new edition is $12.95 compared to $8.95 for last year’s. A 44 percent increase in price? Come on.

Overall, this edition’s pluses far outweigh its minuses. Besides, this isn’t just required reading for Rotisserians … it’s their bible.

Andrew Neff is a writer on the NEWS sports desk and commissioner of Mainer League Baseball, an 11-member Rotisserie league in Bangor.