ST. LOUIS — The St. Louis Cardinals announced that alcohol sales will extend to the end of the eighth inning starting Friday.
The extended sales begin during the team's six-game homestand versus the Cincinnati Reds and San Francisco Giants.
The team released the following statement regarding the decision:
“After careful evaluation of our existing service policy and feedback from our fans, the St. Louis Cardinals are extending alcohol sales at bars and concession stands within the ballpark through the end of the 8th inning effective June 9th. In-seat alcohol service via vendors and mobile ordering will not change and concludes at the end of the 7th inning.
"The team has also launched the “Responsible Fan” program to highlight and promote planning for safe rides home. We will continue to monitor the guest experience and game times to determine if any future policy changes may be warranted.”
The Responsible Fan program helps fans plan for a safe ride home after their visit to Busch Stadium by using a designated driver, using public transportation or requesting a ride-share service.
Fans 21 and older can sign up for the team's Responsible Fan pledge and be entered for a chance to win prizes, including game tickets and an honorary pitch. Entries will also be entered into a final Grand Prize at the end of the season.
Find more information on the Responsible Fan program here.
Fans who spoke with 5 On Your Side said they liked the idea.
"I think people are here to have a good time and I think people can be responsible with it. So I'm for it," Cardinals fan Beth Mohlenbrock said.
Another fan said it really makes sense because the games are shorter.
"The games are closer to two and a half hours. So I think it's great. You know, with it being a little bit shorter, it's kind of difficult to tell people an hour and a half in, 'we're done,'" Cardinals fan Chick Brown said.
Numbers from the team show seven innings of an average home game in 2022 lasted 144 minutes, whereas eight innings of an average game this year with the new pitch clock lasted 147 minutes.
Other fans think this is something that should have been expanded previously.
"I think it should have been expanded a long time ago. And I think it was definitely a good idea to expand it an extra inning. And at that point, you might as well expand it throughout the entire game. It's just one more inning," Cardinals fan Michael Hellmann said.
Earlier this season, the team said they had “no plans to extend alcohol sales at Busch Stadium beyond the team’s current service policy of the end of the 7th inning.”
At least four other MLB teams have decided to lengthen beer sales in response to the league's new pace-of-play rules, according to The Associated Press. The teams include the Arizona Diamondbacks, Milwaukee Brewers, Minnesota Twins and Texas Rangers.
The pitch clock and other rules have reduced the average game time to two hours and 38 minutes, down from three hours and six minutes last season.
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