How I Won My Bat

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How I Won My Bat is a short story by R. L. Stine from the Tales To Give You Goosebumps series.

[edit] Synopsis

In the story, a young boy who is useless at baseball is approached by a man who offers to lend him a magical bat that will enable him to win a forthcoming game. There is one condition: as soon as the game is finished, he must go straight back and return the bat to the sports museum of which the man is in charge.

Sure enough, the boy hits every home run and his team win the game easily. He wants to go home now but remembers he must go to the museum. There, he finds many realistic - looking statues posing with sports equipment, and is awed. When the man asks him about the bat, the boy becomes desperate, and begs to be allowed to keep it.

The man agrees, and asks him to stand in a spot for a couple of seconds with the bat. The boy obliges, and takes a swing with the bat. Immediately, there is a bright flash of light and the boy is frozen to the spot as a life-size model.

He remains in the museum for months or even years, as he's lost all sense of time. People who come to the museum often pass by the exhibit and admire his swing, which he's pleased about. The story ends on a "happy" note as he realizes another benefit to the situation: now, he really will be able to keep the bat forever.