Change is coming for Major League Baseball, and the Braves‘ Truist Park is up next.
With the MLB pitch clock cutting down on the overall time of games, the Braves are currently extending beer sales thru the 8th inning (was the 7th) – They are always evaluating the fan experience and this is play as of now.
— Zach Klein (@ZachKleinWSB) April 12, 2023
At least five MLB clubs have begun to extend alcohol sales into the eighth inning. Because of the pitch clock, game times have shrunk. It’s great for fans who don’t want to sit through four hours of baseball; the increased pace of play is an overall positive thing for the game, but it isn’t for the clubs’ wallets.
The Diamondbacks, Rangers, Twins, Brewers, and now the Braves have already extended alcohol sales, and more will come once they see how lucrative it is. Traditionally, MLB games have stopped selling alcohol after the seventh inning, even though the league itself never mandated it. There is concern regarding the safety of fans, but when it comes to money, these bigwigs will push the envelope.
“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,” Rick Schlesinger, the Brewers’ president of business operations, told MLB.com. “Obviously, the safety and the conduct of our fans has primacy. We’ve had no issues, but it’s a small sample size and we’re going to continue to test it and see if it makes sense. I know a number of other teams are doing the same thing.”
The Braves are printing cash with the Battery and Truist Park selling out games. The organization isn’t exactly hurting, but it’s still leaving money on the table. The expectation for Atlanta was to always follow suit.
There would’ve been reason to wait. Despite it being a similar time frame as Schlesinger mentions, it’s still more alcohol. The liability is present. The Braves franchise isn’t exactly risque; the club won’t put itself in a position of danger without confirmation the risk-to-reward ratio is worth it, but Terry McGuirk tracked this new wave and felt comfortable moving forward.
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Photographer: David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire
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