The Pittsburgh Pirates always stay at Pfister Hotel in Milwaukee, which, according to legend, is one of the most haunted hotels in America.
Before arriving in Milwaukee for a four-game series that started Thursday, the Pittsburgh Pirates had lost five of six games, including being swept by the Miami Marlins. That sweep was particularly painful, as the Marlins are one of the teams Pittsburgh is battling with for a wild card spot. Adding to their troubles was a nine-game losing streak at Miller Park and a 17-64 record in Milwaukee over the last 10 years.
Pittsburgh exorcised their demons in Milwaukee with a 10-inning, 3-2 victory on Thursday and a 5-3 win on Friday. Before the series began, though, manager Clint Hurdle was asked about the Pirates’ struggles in Milwaukee. According to an MLB.com story, Hurdle had no answers, saying, “We’re still looking for the key to the lock here. We’ve tried some different things over the years. This is my sixth year visiting here.”
House That Hank Built
One of the possibilities suggested to Hurdle was the hotel the Pirates stay in when they visit Milwaukee. The Pfister is a Victorian hotel that dates back to 1893 and won the 2016 Pinnacle Award in the category of “Best Hotels/Resorts in the Midwest Region.” It combines an old-world luxury with modern amenities. It is also rumored to be one of the most haunted hotels in the country.
Hurdle was asked about the ghost of the Pfister Hotel and said, “I had a player call me one night assuring that there was a ghost, and the ghost had turned on his TV twice in one night.” He continued, “I actually had him come into my room—not to sleep. I settled him down, went back to his room with him, sat for a while. The TV did not come back on. I exited. Everything was okay.” Hurdle didn’t want to name the player because he’s still in the big leagues, but Brewers manager Craig Counsell remembered hearing Pedro Alvarez had trouble with a ghost at the Pfister. Alvarez previously played for the Pirates and is now with the Baltimore Orioles.
Other major league players who claimed to have experienced ghost-like activity at the Pfister include Adrian Beltre and Carlos Gomez. Beltre said in Sports Illustrated that he heard noises in the hallway and knocking on his door, but nothing was there when he went to investigate. He also said the air conditioner and TV switched on and off by themselves. He finally resorted to sleeping with a bat for protection. Gomez heard voices and saw his iPod switch on by itself and start to vibrate wildly.
In 2010, San Francisco Giants players Edgar Renteria and Pablo Sandoval refused to stay at the Pfister with the rest of the team. They checked into a different hotel down the block. Other guests have reported seeing the ghost of an elderly gentleman roaming the halls. Perhaps the spirit of the hotel’s founder, Charles Pfister?
The Pfister hotel has been haunting players for at least 15 years, going back to 2001 when Adrian Beltre slept with his bat. Mike Cameron spoke about it in this video from 2009:
Even the best players in the game are not immune to the ghost of the Pfister Hotel. According to a USA Today article, Bryce Harper had an unnerving experience in Milwaukee during his rookie year in 2012. He laid out a pair of jeans and a shirt on the table at the foot of the bed. When he woke up, the clothes were on the floor and the table was on the opposite side of the room. He checked to see if the door was still latched, and it was.
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The Pittsburgh Pirates are still 2.5 games back in the wild card race and have five more games to play in Milwaukee. Hopefully, they can build on their two recent victories and avoid the ghosts of losses past as they attempt to make the playoffs for the fourth straight year.