Phillies pitcher Matt Strahm thinks extending beer sales to 8th inning is unsafe for fans
Strahm believes MLB teams should stop selling alcohol after the sixth inning
Four MLB teams will allow fans to buy beer in the eighth inning in response to the new rules that have shortened games by about a half-hour. One pitcher doesn't think this is a good idea.
Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Matt Strahm told the "Baseball Isn't Boring" podcast on Thursday that teams should actually stop selling beer earlier because of the shorter games, rather than extending the time to buy. Straham thinks the new policies enacted by the Arizona Diamondbacks, Minnesota Twins, Texas Rangers and Milwaukee Brewers will put more fans at risk because of how quickly after their final drink games will end.
"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."
The always opinionated, insightful @MattStrahm talks with @bradfo about living life as a starter, the problem with the rules and some hypocritical beer policies. @AudacySports
Listen ➡️https://t.co/hRkQfPGB3i pic.twitter.com/hukfuMGm68— Baseball Isn’t Boring (@BBisntBoring) April 13, 2023
Most teams still stop selling alcohol after the seventh inning, but the pitch clock has quickened the pace of play — an issue that plagued baseball for years. It's impossible to know the exact amount of money lost with shorter games, but Strahm believes money is at the heart of this elongated beer-selling idea.
"I'm not surprised," he 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.
" ... But just using common sense: We stopped it in the seventh for the safety of fans and people getting home. Like, it just makes no sense to me that you're going to allow it to the eighth inning."
