By: Rob Lefebvre, Anchor Staff
Baseball is one of the grandest traditions in American history. There are many tales within it of triumph and tragedy, of passions to win to the passions of supportive fans. But that just scrapes the surface when it comes to the stories of the Great American Pastime. One type of story that is synonymous with baseball players and stadiums alike is the ghost story.
The supernatural has been believed in by many baseball players and fans alike. They have reported many experiences that they have had that they simply could not explain; leading them to believe that there could be forces from the beyond at work. Some stories and experiences chill them to the bone, while others warm their hearts and encourage and inspire players and fans alike.
One story tells of how Yankee Stadium could be haunted by the greats like Joe DiMaggio, Lou Gehrig, and Babe Ruth. Yankee Stadium, one of the most recognized stadiums in the country, has seen many classic matchups and has seen many careers skyrocket to fame. Joe DiMaggio, who won 3 MVP Awards and held the major league's longest hitting streak, was referred to as the "Greatest Living Baseball Player." Lou Gehrig and Babe Ruth's fame was bigger than the game itself with their standout personalities and occasional clashes off the field. Both of whom bid emotional farewells at the stadium. Ruth's body was laid there for 2 days before being buried. Many pros like Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez have said they felt the spirits of the greats in the stadium, but it was more of a supportive feeling than a haunting feeling.
Fenway Park has also had reports of noises being heard that sound like a game in progress during the night. Jose Matos, who has supervised the night cleaning crew for years, reported hearing noises of people moving through vthe stadium when no one was around. He has also heard what he believed to be the crack of a baseball bat from out in the field. But while he is a little freaked, he is not afraid to have these experiences. He's actually "a bit happy to have these experiences because of the history of the stadium".
But it's not just the stadiums that hold some of baseballs strangest stories. Some of the hotels that the players stay in before and after playing games are believed to be haunted as well. The Westin St. Francis in San Francisco, the hotel for the visiting team that would be facing the Oakland A's, is believed to have ghosts haunting the elevators. The elevators are famous for being made of glass. The hotel is known for some infamous celebrity incidents, such as the death of Al Jolson and a party hosted by Fatty Arbukle that ended in the death of a guest which brought charges of rape and murder against Arbuckle, ending his career. CC Sabathia, who now plays for the Milwaukee Brewers, has had an experience on the elevator. While riding down the elevator from the fifteenth floor to the lobby, the elevator stopped at the eleventh floor and opened up, but nobody came in. CC suddenly felt a chill and the elevator went up to the seventeenth floor and opened up. Nobody went in or out but the chill he felt suddenly went out like a gust of wind. Sabathia then got off and took another elevator. The experience left Sabathia reeling, but he truly believed it had to be a ghost.
These are just a few of the many paranormal experiences reported within the world of professional baseball. These and many others have been documented in a book recently written by Mickey Bradley and Dan Gordon entitled Haunted Baseball: Ghosts, Curses, Legends, and Eerie Events. Bradley, a loyal Yankee fan and freelance writer, and Gordon, a loyal Red Sox fan who has been documenting paranormal activity as well as writing stories of the Sox, have teamed up to tell stories of triumph and tragedy inspired by the spirits of stadiums and other places affiliated with baseball.
The ghosts of baseball have had both positive and negative effects in the baseball universe. Some players have been inspired to go on to play some of the best games of their careers, and others have been scared to a point where they refuse to go into certain hotel rooms. Ghost stories have been around almost as long as baseball has existed and they will no doubt continue to haunt, or inspire, the sport.
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