MLB team reverses decision to extend alcohol sales in response to pitch clock
The Brewers announced the decision as an experimental move last month
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Several MLB teams extended alcohol sales beyond the seventh inning last month in response to the new pitch clock rule that resulted in shorter games and thus, less money spent at the concession stands.
But one team is now returning to its old policy.
A vendor holds up beer cans during a game between the Toronto Blue Jays and Brewers at American Family Field on June 24, 2022, in Milwaukee. (Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)
The Milwaukee Brewers announced Monday that they will no longer be extending beer sales beyond the seventh inning because the profit after the change was "not significant."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}PHILLIES’ MATT STRAHM OPPOSES EXTENDED BEER SALES AT MLB BALLPARKS, CITING FAN SAFETY
"We’ve got two homestands under our belts and there have not been any serious issues with general behavior related to the extended sales," club spokesperson Tyler Barnes told MLB.com.
"But what we’ve found is that the amount of time we’ve extended it by averages it out to 15 minutes extra. Because it’s late in the game, the sale of alcohol and all concessions drops off a cliff once you get to the eighth inning. The amount of sales we were experiencing was just not significant."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}American Family Field prior to the opening day game between the Brewers and the New York Mets on April 3, 2023, in Milwaukee. (Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
The Brewers, Arizona Diamondbacks, Texas Rangers, Houston Astros and Minnesota Twins were among the teams to announce the changes last month.
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The initial thought was that extending sales would equate to the amount that was previously sold through the seventh inning before the implementation of the pitch clock.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"This is [reflective] of the fact that the games are shorter. From a time perspective, we're probably looking at selling beer for the same amount of time by extending to the eighth inning that we did last year through the seventh," Brewers president of business operations Rick Schlesinger said at the time.
A fan holds a beer before the game between the Minnesota Twins and the Brewers at American Family Field on April 1, 2021 in Milwaukee. (Matt Marton/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
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According to The Associated Press, the Twins indicated Monday they plan to continue selling beer in the eighth inning.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The average game length through Sunday’s action was 2 hours, 39 minutes, a 27-minute drop from last season.
Fox News’ Joe Morgan and The Associated Press contributed to this report.