Ghosts, Baseball, and the Pfister Hotel: Why Dodgers Star Teoscar Hernández Checked Out Before Checking In
In an unusual twist during the 2025 National League Championship Series (NLCS), Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Teoscar Hernández refused to stay at the team’s official hotel in Milwaukee — the historic and allegedly haunted Pfister Hotel. While the decision might sound like tabloid material, it’s actually part of a well-known and long-standing MLB legend: that the Pfister is one of the most haunted hotels in America.
Built in 1893, the Pfister Hotel has hosted countless MLB teams over the years. But along with luxury, players say it comes with an eerie reputation. Over the years, multiple MLB stars — including Bryce Harper, Giancarlo Stanton, and now Dodgers stars — have reported unexplained phenomena: flickering lights, slamming doors, phantom footsteps, and even clothes moving on their own. Some players have said they were so disturbed they lost sleep or checked out early.
For Hernández, however, the decision wasn’t entirely about superstition. He told reporters that while he personally doesn’t believe in ghosts, he made the choice out of respect for his wife, who had heard the stories and didn’t feel comfortable staying there. “Lights go off and on, doors make noise… there are footsteps. And you don’t see anyone,” Hernández explained, echoing what teammates and their spouses had shared. He joined fellow star Mookie Betts, who also stayed elsewhere — reportedly opting for a rented Airbnb during the NLCS.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts took the ghost talk in stride, laughing it off in press conferences and saying he’d never seen anything paranormal at the Pfister. “Those ghost stories went away when I was about 11 years old,” he joked.
But within the team, it’s no laughing matter. The Dodgers have made alternative lodging arrangements before, especially during high-pressure series like the postseason. Some players are more superstitious than others, and in a game where rest and routine are everything, even a rumored ghost can disrupt focus. Whether it’s psychological or not, if a player sleeps better somewhere else, it’s worth it.
The drama has gone viral on social media, blending sports with the spooky just in time for Halloween. Fans are split: some dismiss it as silly superstition, while others are fully leaning into the lore. Videos and TikToks claiming to show “evidence” of ghosts at the Pfister have been making the rounds, though nothing has ever been formally proven.
As for the series, the Dodgers took an early lead, winning the first two games in Milwaukee — meaning they may not need to return to the “haunted” hotel again. Still, this ghostly subplot has added an unexpected twist to the 2025 playoffs, making the Pfister more famous — or infamous — than ever.