PHOENIX (AP) 鈥� Thanks to the pitch clock, the action is moving much faster at Major League Baseball games.
It also means a little less time for fans to enjoy a frosty adult beverage.
To combat that time crunch, at least four teams 鈥� the Arizona Diamondbacks, Texas Rangers, Minnesota Twins and Milwaukee Brewers 鈥� have extended alcohol sales through the eighth inning this season. Others, like the Miami Marlins and New York Mets, still have seventh-inning cutoffs, but haven't ruled out changes.
鈥淭otally makes sense to me,鈥� said Tom Lienhardt, who was sipping on a beer Tuesday night before the Brewers-Diamondbacks game at Chase Field. 鈥淪ince the games are shorter, you鈥檝e got to adjust.鈥�
Teams historically have stopped selling alcohol after the seventh.
At least one team, the Baltimore Orioles, already sold alcohol through the eighth inning, or until 3 1/2 hours after first pitch, whichever came first.
MLB games have been considerably shorter this season, largely thanks to a series of rule changes, particularly the new pitch clock. Through the first 1 1/2 weeks of the season, , on track to be the sport鈥檚 lowest since 1984.
The minor leagues played with the pitch clock last season. At least one minor league general manager 鈥� Kevin Mahoney of the Class A Brooklyn Cyclones 鈥� even with shorter games.
Still, some big league teams have felt the need to make adjustments.
The Rangers allowed some alcohol sales in the eighth inning last season, but have made that option more widely available in 2023. The team said the move to offer in-seat service to everyone 鈥� fans can order on their phones 鈥� was done partly in reaction to the pitch clock and the potential of shorter game times so fans would not have to miss extended action waiting in lines at concession stands.
Brewers President of business operations Rick Schlesinger that their team's move to extend alcohol sales through the eighth was an experiment.
鈥淚f it turns out that this is causing an issue or we feel that it might cause an issue, then we鈥檒l revert to what we have done previously,鈥� Schlesinger said.
MLB says it does not regulate when teams sell alcohol. Most franchises have used the seventh inning as a cutoff, at least partly to avoid overserving customers who could then get in their cars and drive home.
But in reality, most teams already had areas around the ballpark where fans could get alcohol after the seventh, even if the concession stands stopped serving. Many parks are connected to restaurants or have VIP areas where the booze still flows.
鈥淚f it cuts off sales in the seventh inning, the eighth inning or the ninth inning, that really doesn鈥檛 affect our stance because regardless, we just don鈥檛 want people to drink alcohol and then drive home from the game,鈥� said Erin Payton, Regional Executive Director for Mothers Against Drunk Driving.