Oct 6, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA;Philadelphia Phillies fans reacts in the ninth inning against the New York Mets during game two of the NLDS for the 2024 MLB Playoffs at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images
If there's one thing that teams may view negatively about the faster play of baseball games in the past two years thanks to the pitch clock, it's that there is less time for them to sell food, drinks and merch to fans.
They may not say it out loud, but it certainly has to have impacted their bottom line just a smidge, no?
So, how can teams combat that in this new era of sped up baseball?
Why, by opening the park earlier, of course.
It may not make up the whole difference, or maybe it turns out to be a boon, and exceeds the difference because fans just want to enjoy a summer night at a ballpark for as long as they can. But either way, the Phillies are going to give it a go this season and see if there's a win for everyone.
The Phillies announced in emails sent to fans who purchased tickets for 2025 regular season games that all gates at Citizens Bank Park will open 90 minutes prior to the scheduled game time on weekdays and two hours before the start time on Saturdays and Sundays.
With everyone from Bryson Stott to John Middleton watching, Phillies first-round pick Aidan Miller is currently taking batting practice. pic.twitter.com/TYSFWVzdaT
Prior to the pitch clock coming into play, the gates didn't open until 70 minutes before game time. the extra 20 minutes on weekdays and 50 minutes on weekends, will likely boost in-park revenue enough to make up for some of the time lost in the speed of the actual game due to the pitch clock.
The Phillies took this plan for a test drive last season, updating gate openings for weekday games to 90 minutes after the All-Star Break. They also toyed with the two-hour advance opening on the weekends in September. Both were likely successful enough for the Phillies to expand that to a full year for 2025.
In addition, some gates will open even earlier.
The third base and left field gates will open even sooner, giving fans an extra half hour inside the ballpark. Although those gates will open two hours before game time during the week and 2.5 hours before first pitch on the weekends, fans will have limited access to parts of the stadium. They will be able to go to the New Era Team Store and Pass and Stow on the infield, and have full access to Ashburn Alley, The Yard, and Coca-Cola Corner.
Fans with Cp Rankin Club Seats will be able to access them, and sections 101-103 in right field and 140-148 in left field will be open.
The reason for that will be so fans could catch home run balls from batting practice. Usually, fans would miss Phillies batting practice because it would end as fans were allowed to enter the stadium, now, with the earlier access, fans will be able to catch part of the Phillies batting practice and maybe even get themselves a souvenir on a BP home run ball into the seats.
