In the wake of several teams updating their alcohol sale policies in response to shorter game times across the MLB this season, Phillies pitcher Matt Strahm revealed that he is not elated about the changes.
In a recent appearance on the “Baseball Isn’t Boring” podcast, Strahm called out MLB owners for extending the sale of alcohol past the typical seventh-inning cutoff despite the games being shorter.
“The reason we stopped [selling alcohol in] the seventh before was to give our fans time to sober up and drive home safe, correct?” Strahm said. “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?”
“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.”
Phillies pitcher Matt Strahm said that he disagreed with extending alcohol sales beyond the traditional 7th-inning cutoff, citing the "safety of fans." https://t.co/mFQqLIVjJC pic.twitter.com/rLg6h4eWL4
— ESPN (@espn) April 13, 2023
With a series of rule changes introduced this season — particularly the addition of the pitch clock — MLB has seen record-low game times and an uptick in pace-of-play. Through the first week and a half of the season, the average game time was down 30 minutes, on track to be the sport’s lowest since 1984.
To fight back against the shorter game times, at least five teams — the Astros, Diamondbacks, Rangers, Twins and Brewers — have extended alcohol sales through the eighth inning this season. Others, like the Marlins and Mets, still have seventh-inning cutoffs, but haven’t ruled out changes.
MLB does not regulate when teams sell alcohol, but most clubs have used the seventh inning as a cutoff in part to avoid overserving customers who could then get in their cars and drive home. However, most teams still had areas in the stadium where fans could get alcohol after the seventh, and teams like the Orioles allowed sales into the eighth even before the rule changes.
“I’m not surprised,” Strahm said. “When you mess with billionaires’ dollars, [they] find a way to make their dollars back. My thing is, when you’re looking at the safety of your fans, that’s probably not the smartest decision to extend it into the eighth.”
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In the end, Strahm might get his wish after all. Brewers President of business operations Rick Schlesinger confirmed to MLB.com that their team’s move to extend alcohol sales through the eighth is an experiment.
“If it turns out that this is causing an issue or we feel that it might cause an issue, then we’ll revert to what we have done previously,” Schlesinger said.
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