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.
Synopsis
In the story, a young boy named Michael 'Mike' Burns who is useless at baseball is approached by a man named Mr. Smith 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 can't go home, he must go straight back and return the bat to the sports museum of which Mr. Smith is in charge.
Sure enough, Mike hits every home run and his team win the game easily. Mike wants to go home now but remembers he must go to the museum, so he tells his mom he will be home later. There, Mike finds many realistic - looking statues posing with sports equipment, and is awed. When Mr. Smith asks him about the bat, Mike tells him how he won the game and asks if he can keep the bat.
Mr. Smith agrees, and asks him to stand in a spot for awhile and pose with the bat. Mike tells him that he really wants to go home and celebrate with his mom. Mr. Smith chuckles and tells him it will only take two seconds, Mike obliges, and takes a swing with the bat. Immediately, there is a bright flash of light and Mike is frozen to the spot as a life-size model.
He remains in the museum, stuck in mid-swing for eternity. 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 somewhat "happy" note as Mike realizes another benefit to the situation: now, he really will be able to keep the bat forever.