CINCINNATI — A pitcher with the Philadelphia Phillies is criticizing some Major League Baseball groups for extending alcohol gross sales with video games working round half-hour shorter because of the sport’s new pitch clock.

Matt Strahm stated Thursday on the Baseball Isn’t Boring podcast that groups must be transferring the cutoff for beer gross sales as much as the sixth inning, somewhat than stretching to the eighth or later, since followers may have much less time to sober up and drive dwelling.

At least 5 groups - the Houston Astros, Arizona Diamondbacks, Texas Rangers, Minnesota Twins and Milwaukee Brewers - have prolonged alcohol gross sales previous the normal seventh-inning cutoff. The Baltimore Orioles had already allowed gross sales into the eighth.

Other groups haven’t dominated out adjustments.

“The reason we stopped it in the seventh before was to give our fans time to sober up and drive home safe, correct?” Strahm stated. “So now with a quicker tempo sport, and me simply being a person of frequent sense, if the sport goes to complete faster, would we not transfer the beer gross sales again to the sixth inning to offer our followers time to sober up and drive dwelling?

“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.”

PHOTOS: Pitcher criticizes MLB groups for extending alcohol gross sales

Strahm urged staff house owners ought to re-evaluate whether or not the extension of beer gross sales seems to be out for the protection of followers, or whether or not it’s a “way to make their dollars back.”

Through the primary 1 1/2 weeks of the season, the common MLB sport time has been down 31 minutes due to the rule adjustments, significantly the brand new pitch clock.

That means followers are spending much less time - and maybe much less cash - at stadiums.

For the nonprofit Mothers Against Drunk Driving, the extension of beer gross sales doesn’t change a lot. The aim stays preserving drunk individuals off the street.

“If it cuts off sales in the seventh inning, the eighth inning or the ninth inning, that really doesn’t affect our stance because regardless, we just don’t want people to drink alcohol and then drive home from the game,” Erin Payton, regional govt director of MADD, informed The Associated Press in a press release.

The Astros had been the most recent staff to announce an extension of alcohol gross sales. The staff stated Thursday followers would be capable to buy alcohol at restricted places by the top of the sport.

The Rangers allowed some alcohol gross sales within the eighth inning final season, however have made that choice extra extensively out there in 2023. The staff stated the transfer to supply in-seat service to everybody - followers can order on their telephones - was accomplished partly in response to the pitch clock and the potential of shorter sport instances so followers wouldn't should miss prolonged motion ready in strains at concession stands.

Brewers President of enterprise operations Rick Schlesinger confirmed to MLB.com that their staff’s transfer to increase alcohol gross sales by the eighth was 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 stated.

MLB says it doesn't regulate when groups promote alcohol. Most franchises have used the seventh inning as a cutoff, no less than partly to keep away from overserving clients who may then get of their automobiles and drive dwelling.

But in actuality, most groups already had areas across the ballpark the place followers may get alcohol after the seventh, even when the concession stands stopped serving. Many parks are linked to eating places or have VIP areas the place the booze nonetheless flows.

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