Major League Baseball teams are moving forward with new rules to extend the sale of alcohol past the end of the seventh inning.
Typically the sale of alcohol ends after the seventh inning in an effort to prevent fans from driving while still under the influence. However, due to the shortened duration of games, there’s less time for fans to spend waiting in concession stands, prompting teams to experiment with new rules.
“I’m comfortable that our people are going to be monitoring the situation well and making sure that people who shouldn’t be served won’t be served, regardless of what inning it is,” Milwaukee Brewers President Rick Schlesinger told MLB.com. (RELATED: The Chicago Cubs Have The Coolest Piece Of Alcoholic Swag. It’s Called A ‘Beer Bat’)
The Baltimore Orioles have set in place rules to cap the sale of alcohol either through the eighth inning or 3 1/2 hours after the first pitch. The Arizona Diamondbacks, Texas Rangers, Milwaukee Brewers and Minnesota Twins have all extended the sale of alcohol past the eighth inning, according to The Associated Press. The Miami Marlins and New York Mets still end sales at the seventh-inning mark but are open to changing that policy.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA – OCTOBER 21: Philadelphia Eagles player Jason Kelce pumps drinks a beer during game three of the National League Championship Series between the San Diego Padres and the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on October 21, 2022 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
There is no rule enforced by the MLB that tells teams when they can and cannot sell alcohol but instead ballpark employees undergo training from a group known as, Techniques for Effective Alcohol Management. Despite concession stands stopping the sale of alcohol after the seventh, there are often lounges and restaurants attached to stadiums that would continue to sell.
Among other rules, the MLB implemented a new pitch clock with efforts to try and speed up the game and bring in younger fans. When the rule was used in the minors, games were “20 minutes shorter than the average time,” according to ESPN. In 2023 the average run time of a game during opening day was 2 hours 45 minutes which is nearly 30 minutes more than the 3 hour 11 minute average of last year’s opening day average, according to The Athletic.