Shorter games lead to Twins, other teams extending beer sales later into their games

With games lasting about 30 minutes less than last year, some MLB teams are letting fans buy alcohol into the eighth inning of games — including at Target Field.

April 13, 2023 at 12:07PM
Compostable beer cups at Target Field Monday May 25, 2015 in Minneapolis, MN .] Minnesota Twins are partnering with Boulder,Colo.-based EcoProducts to reduce waste at Target Field, turning trash into fertile soil. EcoProducts gets its resin-based compostable materials from Minnetonka-based NatureWorks LLC — Cargill is the company's largest investor. Plastic bottles and aluminum will be recycles and virtually everything else composted.Jerry Holt/ Jerry.Holt@Startribune.com
Twins fans can now buy beer at Target Field through the eighth inning instead of the seventh. (Jerry Holt, Star Tribune/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

As MLB teams pour massive amounts of money and resources into enhancing the experience at ballparks, this partial paradox has emerged: Faster games this season have improved the pace and general feel of being at a ballpark in the eyes of many fans, but by definition the experience is now shorter than it used to be.

One adjustment some teams — including the Twins — have already made to games that have been about 30 minutes shorter than last year: Alcohol sales have been extended to the eighth inning at several ballparks, including at Target Field.

The previous standard at Target Field and around MLB before this season was to cut off sales in the seventh inning. But with games flying by — Tuesday's 4-3 Twins win, which went 10 innings, checked in at a brisk 2 hours, 23 minutes — teams have a shorter window to sell concessions.

"Even by ending later, we're still having a shorter period of time when guests can buy alcohol," Matt Hoy, the Twins senior vice president of operations, told The Business Journal. "We want to make sure that people have the opportunity to enjoy themselves when they're out here."

There's a financial component to extending sales, too. Independent sports business writer Joe Pompliano tweeted that shorter games this season could cost some teams more than $1 million in lost beer sales.

Extending the sale of alcohol does, though, put the onus on consumers.

At least some of the idea behind cutting off alcohol sales is to allow a gap between the last drink consumed and a time when a game ends and fans might be getting back into cars. The NFL standard, for instance, is to cut off sales at the end of the third quarter.

But the Brewers, Rangers and Diamondbacks, like the Twins, have already extended sales to the eighth inning this year and other teams are reportedly mulling it.

Teams might logically note that ballparks like Target Field have plenty of nearby options for post-game alcohol consumption regardless of when sales end at a game.

"If it turns out that this is causing an issue or we feel that it might cause an issue, then we'll revert to what we have done previously," Brewers President of business operations Rick Schlesinger told MLB.com.

about the writer

about the writer

Michael Rand

Columnist / Reporter

Michael Rand is the Star Tribune's Digital Sports Senior Writer and host/creator of the Daily Delivery podcast. In 25 years covering Minnesota sports at the Star Tribune, he has seen just about everything (except, of course, a Vikings Super Bowl).

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