Huggins-Stengel Field
May 10, 2008
SPIRITS REPORTS:
Jeanne:
1. What was your role in this investigtion? (Please check one)
Investigator (general)
2. What equipment did you use on this investigation?
Digital camera
Audio recording devices
Electro Magnetic Field Meter (EMF meter)
3. What phenomena did you experience on this investigation? (Please check all that apply)
Other (please specify below)
Comment: One large spike on EMF during Q and A session.
4. In review of the footage, recording, or photographs taken at the location, which of the following did you find? (Please check all that apply)
No unusual occurrences at all
5. What technical observations did you note during the investigation? For purposes of categorizing data, please post your first name, followed by your response.
Jeanne During the EVP questioning, I got one large spike on my EMF meter.
6. What sensitive observations did you note during the investigation? For purposes of categorizing data, please post your first name, followed by your response.
Jeanne No observations.
7. What researched/historical information did you learn about this location? For purposes of categorizing data, please post your first name, followed by your response.
Jeanne We had no information before the visit. After the investigation, I read about the location's hauntings in a book called "Haunted Basebal".
8. On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate the haunting of this location? Note on scale: 1 represents "no haunting", 5 "moderate haunting" and 10 "extremely haunted"?
5
9. What issues does the review team need to address with the occupant (homeowner, business owner, resident)? What aspects of the investigation need to be re-addressed, retested, or clarified?
Jeanne We discussed returning to the location and running recording devices overnight.
10. Is there any other information that you would like to add about this investigation? For purposes of categorizing data, please post your first name, followed by your response.
Jeanne No information.
Mary:
1. What was your role in this investigtion? (Please check one)
Sensitive/Psy
2. What equipment did you use on this investigation?
Digital camera
3. What phenomena did you experience on this investigation? (Please check all that apply)
Sensation of being watched
Other (please specify below)
Comment: Impression of someone watching us with interest in the office and an impression of a man by the field
4. In review of the footage, recording, or photographs taken at the location, which of the following did you find? (Please check all that apply)
No unusual occurrences at all
5. What technical observations did you note during the investigation? For purposes of categorizing data, please post your first name, followed by your response.
Mary: We did have an unusual number of spikes in the EMF meter while doing an EVP session there. Prior to this there was extremely low EMF.
6. What sensitive observations did you note during the investigation? For purposes of categorizing data, please post your first name, followed by your response.
Mary: We had talked to the caretaker and his supervisor for some time prior to doing the actual investigation. We had looked at old baseball pictures and so it is hard to determine if the impressions I had were a result of this. However, I did sense a man in an older baseball uniform back behind the fence behind home plate. I got the name Quinton, Quentin or Clinton with it. He seems to feel as if he belongs there. Also in the mamger's office, there was an impression of a man leaned against a doorframe that no longer exists. However we had learned that there used to be a door that opened between the manager's office and the coach's office that may have colored this impression.
7. What researched/historical information did you learn about this location? For purposes of categorizing data, please post your first name, followed by your response.
Mary: Huggins Field was used as a training ground for the New York Yankees, the New York Mets, the Baltimore Orioles and the Tampa Bay (Devil) Rays since the 1920s. Many famous ball players played ball on the field, to include Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, and Joe Dimaggio. The only room that is original to the clubhouse is the manager's office. What is believed to be the Casey Stengel's original desk is still in the office. The field is currently used as St Pete High's ball field as well as for other baseball events.
8. On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate the haunting of this location? Note on scale: 1 represents "no haunting", 5 "moderate haunting" and 10 "extremely haunted"?
4
9. What issues does the review team need to address with the occupant (homeowner, business owner, resident)? What aspects of the investigation need to be re-addressed, retested, or clarified?
We will hopefully get permission to set up equipment over-night to see if phenomena can be recorded. There have been reports of doors closing, the A/C turning on and off by itself, and doors mysteriously locking.
10. Is there any other information that you would like to add about this investigation? For purposes of categorizing data, please post your first name, followed by your response.
Mary: When we originally went to the field, we expected to find an urban legend that involved a man dying on the field. Instead we found a wealth of baseball history and hauntings told to us by groundskeeper Charles Lockhart and his supervisor Bob Spittle. This was a most informative trip and revealed a very interesting slice of St Petersburg history.
Brandy
1. What was your role in this investigtion? (Please check one)
Investigator (general)
2. What equipment did you use on this investigation?
Thermometer
Digital camera
Audio recording devices
3. What phenomena did you experience on this investigation? (Please check all that apply)
Other (please specify below)
Comment: None
4. In review of the footage, recording, or photographs taken at the location, which of the following did you find? (Please check all that apply)
No unusual occurrences at all
5. What technical observations did you note during the investigation? For purposes of categorizing data, please post your first name, followed by your response.
Brandy: None, really. There are some power lines that may be interfering with the readings on the EM meter. We attempted an EVP and the meter spiked on several different questions, multiple spikes. However, this is likely due to electronic phenomena in the area. We had spikes to "Are you hear with us", "Is there more than one entity in this room","Male", "Female", "Live in building", "Die in building", "Die of accident", "Murdered", "Commit suicide", "Last year that you remember" and "Message to pass on". Ages: 5 -10, 40-50, 60-70, 70-80, 90-100. We did ask "Is this Casey" (spike), recognize Charlie (none), Do you walk the field (spike). I need to review the EVPs fully to see if I can find any correlations to these spikes.
6. What sensitive observations did you note during the investigation? For purposes of categorizing data, please post your first name, followed by your response.
Brandy: None
7. What researched/historical information did you learn about this location? For purposes of categorizing data, please post your first name, followed by your response.
Need to get: "Haunted Baseball" by Mickey Bradley The field was used by: Yankees: Babe Ruth, 1920-1950s Mets: 1962-68 (Don Zimmer was there, Casey Stengel, manager, related to this are). Periods unknown: Astros, Indians, Mets (again) Oreols: 91 - 94 Devil Rays: 97-2000 Currently: It is the home field for St. Petersburg High, Youth League and Adult and Senior leagues. In 2001, the old clubhouse was renovated. It now houses the TASCO group. They removed the lockers, though they did leave one locker up with uniforms to give a "feel" as to how the old clubhouse was. The grounds keeper's office is the original baseball manager's office and has a desk that belonged to Casey, according to legend. Despite the original legend that I heard, tentatively called "Casey at the Bat" -- in which a manager died on the field -- there are no known deaths on the property. We interviewed C. Lockett, who started to work at Huggens Field in 2000. He reports: Hearing doors shut, smelling cigar smoke (10 - 9 - 08) (Others have reported it too). He saw someone go through a wall several years ago. This was a gray figure. He hears noises and tools have been moved (but it could be that others are using them). Believes that there is a story from the Devil Rays in which an A/C unit or a TV came on by themselves. Lockett: the first manifestation he had was out in the field. He saw a small man out of the corner of his eye standing by the home team dugout. He looked again and there was nothing there. He believes that this was "Casey", the former Mets manager. Reports that a woman was asking questions and wanted to go into the building (now the TASCO building). She had a dog with her and the dog would not go inside -- refused. This was abnormal behavior for the dog. 2 - 3 weeks ago, Lockett was eating lunch and saw someone come out -- a tall figure -- from a locked area. It moved between the original clubhouse. Smell: Old machinery, baseball smells (clubhouse smells). Reports that "Bobby", an employee, was showering in the clubhouse and a light fell down over his head very suddenly. He hears the sounds of doors opening and creaking. He also says that the door to his office, which was originally the old manager's office, will lock on its own. We also interviewed Bob Spittle, Parks Operation Foreman. He was hired to spend the night in the clubhouse and said he had a terrible time getting to sleep. He was uncomfortable and could not sleep without an aid. He finally turned on the TV to have some noise. In the TASCO building we were told that a man also attempted to leave recording devices in the building to see if he could pick anything up. He got an EVP saying "You're talking too loudly"....I have contact information and will follow up with it.
8. On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate the haunting of this location? Note on scale: 1 represents "no haunting", 5 "moderate haunting" and 10 "extremely haunted"?
5
9. What issues does the review team need to address with the occupant (homeowner, business owner, resident)? What aspects of the investigation need to be re-addressed, retested, or clarified?
I am fascinated by the daytime manifestations. Just based on the amount of
10. Is there any other information that you would like to add about this investigation? For purposes of categorizing data, please post your first name, followed by your response.
I am hopeful that we can get info from the other individual who went to the location to try for EVPs. I would like to try to leave equipment behind as well.
Evie
1. What was your role in this investigtion? (Please check one)
Investigator (general)
2. What equipment did you use on this investigation?
Digital camera
Electro Magnetic Field Meter (EMF meter)
3. What phenomena did you experience on this investigation? (Please check all that apply)
Other (please specify below)
Comment: Nothing specific
4. In review of the footage, recording, or photographs taken at the location, which of the following did you find? (Please check all that apply)
Orb images (film)
Comment: Dust orb
5. What technical observations did you note during the investigation? For purposes of categorizing data, please post your first name, followed by your response.
Evie - We had some small spikes on the EMF meters when we were in the old manager's office
6. What sensitive observations did you note during the investigation? For purposes of categorizing data, please post your first name, followed by your response.
Evie - I didn't have any strong sensitive observations
7. What researched/historical information did you learn about this location? For purposes of categorizing data, please post your first name, followed by your response.
Evie - the book Charlie shared with us is very interesting. I think it will be worth doing some research on Huggins Fiels.
8. On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate the haunting of this location? Note on scale: 1 represents "no haunting", 5 "moderate haunting" and 10 "extremely haunted"?
4
9. What issues does the review team need to address with the occupant (homeowner, business owner, resident)? What aspects of the investigation need to be re-addressed, retested, or clarified?
Although they have seen paranormal activity at the field during the day, I would like to do a night time investigation to see if there is increased activity.
10. Is there any other information that you would like to add about this investigation? For purposes of categorizing data, please post your first name, followed by your response.
Evie - I would like to do some research on the field in order to have some possible names in case we get to do another investigation.
Priscilla
1. What was your role in this investigtion? (Please check one)
Sensitive/Psy
2. What equipment did you use on this investigation?
No Response
3. What phenomena did you experience on this investigation? (Please check all that apply)
Sensation of energy
Hearing/auditory
4. In review of the footage, recording, or photographs taken at the location, which of the following did you find? (Please check all that apply)
No Response
5. What technical observations did you note during the investigation? For purposes of categorizing data, please post your first name, followed by your response.
No Response
6. What sensitive observations did you note during the investigation? For purposes of categorizing data, please post your first name, followed by your response.
Priscilla- This site has a soft sadness of ones who love this place and cannot leave it. I heard a soft voice say , "This was my love. How can I leave it?" I feel that the haunting activity here is only those in spirit who wish to make themselves known and never forgotten.
7. What researched/historical information did you learn about this location? For purposes of categorizing data, please post your first name, followed by your response.
Priscilla- This site holds energies of many of the baseball great's since the 1920's. History here is rich and full. I heard one spirit say, "If you let yourself, you will feel those days. They are never really gone. It is one connection given and felt that uplifts the human spirit." And this site continues to uplift humans who pass this way...
8. On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate the haunting of this location? Note on scale: 1 represents "no haunting", 5 "moderate haunting" and 10 "extremely haunted"?
8
9. What issues does the review team need to address with the occupant (homeowner, business owner, resident)? What aspects of the investigation need to be re-addressed, retested, or clarified?
No Response
10. Is there any other information that you would like to add about this investigation? For purposes of categorizing data, please post your first name, followed by your response.
I think the present day staff are treating haunting episodes with honor and dignity toward the spirits of the past. This is surely what is needed.
This is where "Casey" appeared.
Book Review, Brandy Stark
“Haunted Baseball: Ghosts, Curses, Legends and Eerie Events”
By Mickey Bradley and Dan Gordon
Admittedly, I am not a sports fan. However, even I must acknowledge the spot that baseball holds in the hearts of Americans – so much so that the fans and players who give life to the game also give it afterlife. “Haunted Baseball” is a unique look at the haunted history, curses, and supernatural natures that fall into this pastime.
For the St. Petersburg area, and as I am the founder of the SPIRITS of St. Petersburg, three areas of the book particularly caught my interest. The first chapter had in-depth information on an investigation that we did several months ago on Huggins-Stengel Field. In fact, our interviews with various staff manning the park led us to this book; they recommended it highly to us. Indeed, it was worth the purchase. Not only had the authors interviewed many of the staff that we had, they presented comprehensive and well-researched information on the park. I was amazed to learn that a place I had walked by and observed for nearly 20 years was this remarkably historic. Huggins-Stengel Field is one of the oldest baseball fields in the United States. Founded in the 1920s, it was a Spring Training facility for the Yankees. According to the authors, Babe Ruth was so rowdy that the owners wanted to put him somewhere where he could not get into much trouble. St. Petersburg was a sleepy southern town at that time and, with the ballpark, was the perfect non-troubling Spring Training facility for the Babe (p. 4 – 5). Ruth’s legacy was joined by other greats over the years, such as Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio, Yogi Berra, Mickey Mantle, Whitey Ford, Nolan Ryan, Wade Boggs, and many others. As we know, anywhere that history touches, ghosts are left behind. Babe Ruth has been seen at the field by one worker. Some also see baseball coaches of bygone eras. Even the old buildings, where the team locker rooms once were, still buzz with paranormal activity. Some claim to hear voices late at night, doors open and close, and even cigar smoke blows through when no one is around to smoke them.
Connected to the field is another chapter dedicated to the Vinoy. Rumor on the street has it that “Ghosthunters” is going to investigate this resort, which also housed, and still houses, numerous baseball players. The Vinoy is a local hotspot of activity. The ghost tour that I do talks about this “Grand Dame” of downtown as possessing a multitude of ghosts, including the “Nefarious Gentleman” and the “Lady in White.” Some players refuse to stay in certain rooms that they believe are haunted, though the Vinoy historian, oddly, is quoted near the end of the chapter saying that she does not believe the place is haunted.
A third chapter, listed under the “Curses” section, also hits one more home team point: The [Devil] Rays. I loved this chapter as it detailed questions that some Tampa Bay sports fans have been wondering for years: is the Tampa Bay area cursed? Our sports teams do notoriously badly in this regions, remaining years on the bottom of the roster, spiking every now and then to potential greatness only to spend the next eon back on the “bad” list. The “Devil” Rays (now just “The Rays”) fit into this history. The question falls to the stadium, which, rumor has it, was built upon tenement lots, which were, in turn, built upon former graveyards. While the remains were allegedly removed, some believe that the workers were not that careful in removing the dead. The cemeteries in the area were also known for poorly marked tombs; could someone have been left behind? Is the stadium haunted? Is it cursed? (If so, that really would explain a lot about the team!) Perhaps 2008 and 2009 will change that. The Rays, after dropping the “Devil”, did better this year than they ever have in the past…was it simply a quirk with the name?
The remainder of the book takes the reader all over the U.S. to various sports teams, haunting activity, superstitions (it turns out that ball players are quite superstitious), cremains, and curses. It is a fascinating journey for layman and fanatic alike through the dark side of baseball. After getting adjusted to the topic, the book was addictive. It is a fun and easy read, and comes highly recommended by this paranormal investigator.
“Haunted Baseball” is available in many bookstores and online through Amazon.com. The listed cover price is $14.95.
