In town for a three-game set against the Milwaukee Brewers, the Los Angeles Dodgers stayed at a local hotel known for being haunted. All but one, that is, as star outfielder Mookie Betts opted to lay his head on his pillow elsewhere.
Betts said he decided to stay with a few friends at an Airbnb to avoid any potential ghostly encounters. While Betts doesn’t know if ghosts are real, he sure wasn’t staying to find out.
“It was a good excuse [not to stay there]. You can tell me what happened after,” Betts said, via The Orange County Register. “I just don’t want to find out myself.”
The Pfister Hotel is regarded as one of the most haunted hotels in the country. Built in 1893, the historic landmark has provided a scare into many MLB players over the years. Former MLB third baseman Adrian Beltre notably reported he was awaken by pounding noises from behind his headboard. Beltre said he took a baseball bat with him to sleep for protection, and got just two total hours of sleep during his three-night stay.
Betts, meanwhile, has stayed in the hotel before. Though he didn’t come forth with any unusual activity, he said he wasn’t able to get a good night’s sleep due to the hotel’s reputation.
“But I couldn’t sleep,” Betts said. “Every noise, I’d be like, ‘Is that something?’”
Mookie Betts puts ghosts behind him in series victory over Brewers
Betts’ decision paid off, as the 30-year-old led the Dodgers to a series victory over the Brewers. He was the lightning rod to Los Angeles’ 6-2 win Tuesday, hitting a leadoff home run off Brewers starter Eric Lauer. The 392-foot blast was Betts’ 39th-career leadoff homer and registered a 103.9 mph exit velocity.
“It was just out over the plate,” said Betts, who also drew a walk in a seven-pitch plate appearance in the seventh inning, via MLB.com. “I put a good swing on it, and it went over.”
Betts, in his fourth season with the Dodgers, is hitting .246 with seven home runs and 21 RBIs in 138 at-bats in 2023. The former American League MVP is looking to make his third consecutive All-Star Game appearance and seventh overall.
