Who would have thought we would have an influx of articles about beer consumption in America on a beautiful Thursday morning in Philadelphia? In my latest post we have Matt Strahm taking the opposite stand against alcohol sales in MLB ballparks.

First we had Citizens Bank Park refusing to alter their concession rules on when they will cutoff alcohol sales to fans attending Phillies games. We then had some conservative beer wacko making hilariously bad videos about some new 4% shit beer he made for conservative dads. Of course, all this falls under the biggest headline over the past few weeks, with Bud Light getting everyone riled up by utilizing a TikTok influencer than has 10 million followers (and also just happens to be transgender) to promote their product. 

Really, the only story we care about here is beer sales at Citizens Bank Park. All of the other stuff is nonsense and should be ignored at all costs. 

This morning, Conway posted an article about how Citizens Bank Park refusing to alter concession sales after other MLB teams like the Brewers, Rangers, and Diamondbacks have already decided to extend beer sales into the eighth inning since games are significantly shorter thanks to the pitch clock. 

Appearing on the podcast, “Baseball Isn’t Boring” Philadelphia Phillies’ pitcher Matt Strahm, who I just got done praising earlier this week for having two strong outings with the Phillies, decided to share his opinion on alcohol sales inside the confines of baseball stadiums. 

Matt Strahm thinks that the MLB teams should be doing the complete opposite, and halting concession sales of alcohol in the sixth inning. 

I’m sorry Matt Strahm, but what in the world are you talking about? 

“The reason we stopped hitting the seventh before was to give our fans time to sober up and drive home safe, correct? 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,” he explained. “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.”

Strahm continued, “I’m not surprised. When you mess with billionaires’ dollars, to 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. And, again, just being a common sense thinker, I think as a fan of the game, and just looking out for people, it would make more sense he stopped the sales in the sixth.”

“I mean, no one ever wants to admit they’re wrong, which I think is a problem itself for our society,” Strahm said regarding both adjustments (and lack thereof) made by both Major League Baseball and its teams this season. But, you know, it’s, again, it is what it is we have to deal with what we’re given, but just using common sense. We stopped it in the seven first safety of fans and people getting home. Like it just it makes no sense to me that you’re gonna allow it to the eighth inning.” via WEEI

Look, I totally understand what Strahm is trying to say here. If people are drinking and then immediately getting behind the wheel, there is obviously concern for the safety of not only the person driving the car, but everyone else on the road. 

That’s obvious and I do appreciate the fact that he’s looking out for fans and using “common sense” to dissect an issue that is already getting annoying to write about every day. 

However, that’s not how the rest of society works.

Just leaving the stadium, you’re sitting in traffic for a solid 45 minutes without moving already and outside of that, you can literally pop into any bar in the city, sit down, rip some shops, drink a few beers, and then get up and leave whenever you want. 

You can also sit down for dinner for 2.5+ hours and drink until you can barely stand then exit the restaurant whenever you please. 

In my personal opinion, that’s really how ballparks should operate as well.

Whenever I go to baseball games, I stop drinking in the 7th inning regardless just to sober up and get home. The majority people will continue to do this as well. 

Plus, it’s 2023 with ride share options and the Broad Street Line right there at your fingertips to use in case of an emergency. 

Also, kind of funny Strahm is going with the “common man” statement about “messing with billionaires dollars” like he didn’t just sign a brand new 2-year contract for $15 million with the Phillies before the start of the season. 

I don’t even care about that. Like I said, I know Strahm’s heart is in the right place and he just cares about safety of the fans but at the same time if he’s using “common sense” then look at every other establishment that sells alcohol and maybe follow their lead.

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