MLB teams extend beer sales due to pitch clock
Jack Birle
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Several MLB teams are extending the cutoff time for alcohol sales at their stadiums, and one is moving to sell alcohol for the entire game.
So far, four teams, the Texas Rangers, Arizona Diamondbacks, Minnesota Twins, and Milwaukee Brewers, have announced they will now halt beer sales during the eighth inning instead of the seventh inning.
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The Houston Astros announced on Thursday they will sell alcohol at select locations through the end of the game, per local television station KHOU.
The changes are being made due to the increased speed of games this season, which has been attributed to the addition of the pitch clock. Games in the major leagues this season are averaging 30 minutes shorter than last year, per the Associated Press. This creates a smaller window for stadiums to sell beer and other alcoholic drinks.
The MLB does not have a rule on when teams must suspend selling alcohol, but all teams had previously been in sync, ending the sale of alcohol in the seventh inning.
The change will likely help sales of beer and other alcoholic drinks at the stadiums, but not everyone is on board. Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Matt Strahm has expressed his displeasure with the policy changes, arguing alcohol sales should cease earlier, not later.
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“The reason we stopped [selling alcohol in] the seventh before was to give our fans time to sober up and drive home safe, correct? So now, with a faster-pace game, and me just being a man of common sense, if the game is going to finish quicker, would we not move the beer sales back to the sixth inning to give our fans time to sober up and drive home?” Strahm said on the Baseball Isn’t Boring podcast.
“Instead, we’re going to the eighth, and now you’re putting our fans and our family at risk driving home with people who have just drank beers 22 minutes ago,” he added.