For the second time in as many years, Los Angeles Dodgers star Mookie Betts is staying in a short-term rental rather than joining his teammates in a reportedly haunted hotel in downtown Milwaukee.
The Pfister Hotel was built in the 1890s and has long been rumored to be frequented by spirits of former guests terrorizing the current. It’s one of the oldest hotels that MLB teams visit on road trips and is a frequent stay for teams traveling to face the Milwaukee Brewers.
The luxury hotel has hosted diplomats and presidents and is even listed on the National Register of Historic Places, but Betts would rather keep his distance.
Betts, an eight-time MLB All Star, opted to stay away from the Pfister Hotel last season as well, saying it was precautionary and “just in case” the tales of hauntings proved true.
The Dodgers star has stayed in the hotel previously as a member of the Boston Red Sox, and while he didn’t experience anything paranormal, he did have hard time getting a good night’s sleep. He has since chosen to avoid the historic hotel altogether in recent years.
Although he hasn’t personally seen any specters or spooks walking the halls of the Pfister, he’s not the first MLB star to be creeped out by the historic hotel.
Former 7-time MLB All Star, and one-time Dodger, Michael Young told ESPN the Magazine that he heard footsteps “stomping” around in his room and recalled telling his ghostly visitor to “Make yourself at home,” but implored it to keep the noise down.
Two-time National League MVP Bryce Harper said he had a strange experience when staying in the historic hotel, claiming that his clothes he had laid out the night before ended up on the floor and a table was moved across the room.
“I honestly thought there might be someone in my room. I had no idea what the hell just happened, so I actually looked around, and then I checked to see if the door was still latched, and it was,” Harper said. He told reporters that he thought he may have been the victim of a prank by one of his teammates.
In 2018, Cardinals players Carlos Martinez and Marcell Ozuna bunked up together after allegedly spotting one of the Pfister’s otherworldly guests. Martinez was the starting pitcher for the next day’s game against the Brewers and was hammered by Milwaukee’s batters, ultimately being pulled after giving up seven runs in only four innings.
Betts, 31, returned to the Dodgers starting lineup just this week after missing eight weeks with a hand injury.
His decision to stay at an AirBnB instead of the possibly haunted inn shows he’s not willing to risk anything, spiritual or otherwise, from putting a damper on his comeback and postseason push.
The Dodgers are currently 2-0 on this Milwaukee road trip with Betts in the lineup and out of the hotel, so maybe there’s something there.
The Boys in Blue face the Brewers again on Wednesday evening and Thursday afternoon before heading to St. Louis for a three-game series with the Cardinals. It’s unclear if Betts will need to make different accommodations for that stay.