Fear of haunted hotel has Marlins bunking up in Milwaukee
 

There are any number of things to fear when visiting the fine city of Milwaukee.

Among them: Ryan Braun in the batter's box, a cholesterol increase by simply entering the city limits and being publicly shamed by that noisy delivery guy for not living his supposed high life.

If you're a visiting baseball player, you can also add one more fear to that list: Being harassed by ghosts while staying at The Pfister, a luxurious 116-year-old hotel that's said to be haunted.

According to the Palm Beach Post, "at least two pairs of Marlins" shared a room during this week's series against the Brewers because they're scared of the ghosts that haunt The Pfister.

Though the paper doesn't identify the spooked players, it's a well-known legend that The Pfister is often visited by the spirit of Charles Pfister, who founded the hotel in 1893.

Here's a primer on the hotel's scary story from AllStays.com (and I should mention that the photo above isn't of The Pfister, but just a stock AP photo that came up when I searched the archives for "haunted hotel"):

Pfister still visits to ensure that his guests are well taken care of at his "Grand Hotel of the West." A "visitor" has been spotted surveying the lobby from the grand staircase, strolling the minstrel's gallery above the ballroom, and passing through the ninth floor storage area. He is always described in roughly the same terms: "older," "portly," "smiling," and "well-dressed." Upon seeing a portrait of Charles Pfister, witnesses swore that it was the man they had seen.

The Post reports that several pro players in the past have been scared, with the most famous incident coming when then-Dodger Adrian Beltre(notes) went to bed while brandishing his bat for protection. (The Dodgers no longer stay at The Pfister while in Milwaukee.) Another run-in came last summer when the iPod of Minnesota's Carlos Gomez(notes) kept vibrating even after the outfielder repeatedly made sure it was turned off.

No Marlins reported any paranormal activity or sightings of Pfister during the stay, though it was the subject of some jokes among the young Marlins team.

"Every time there was a noise, JJ would yell, ‘It's the ghosts,''' said pitcher Dan Meyer(notes), who had separate but adjoining rooms with staff mate Josh Johnson(notes).

However, it is worth noting that Florida did get swept by the Brewers this series so maybe The Pfister has become part of Milwaukee's homefield advantage.

(And here the Yankees thought they were the only team with ghosts on their side.)
Fear of haunted hotel has Marlins bunking up in Milwaukee - Big League Stew... - MLB - Yahoo! Sports

:laugh:laugh