Prior to Game 4 of the World Series, the league’s executive vice president for baseball operations spoke about looking into the possibility of banning alcohol from MLB clubhouses, according to the New York Daily News.
“I know I have some plans to talk to some people,” Torre said. “It’s something we’re going to look at and find the best way to approach it. I’m comfortable with it, because I’ve played and managed, I have no problem talking to someone in regards to baseball — whether it’s behavior or otherwise.
“I want people to understand the nature of, if we do happen to bar alcohol from the clubhouses, you have to understand the intent of this thing and what it looks like,” Torre added. “We should be role models for the youngsters and how they behave. Some clubs have done it on their own. It’s something we’ll certainly look at.”
All “Boston rally beers” and “New York protein shakes” arguments and jokes aside, why should they ban booze? Most players are of legal drinking age and, like anyone of legal drinking age, should be trusted with handling themselves and their consumption accordingly. If they can’t handle it, action should be taken by team heads — much like a bouncer in a bar or a cashier at a liquor store. It’s that simple.
Sure, one who opposes beer consumption in an MLB locker room can rightfully ask, “Why can’t players simply wait until they leave the park to crack open a beer?” While that’s a good question, I don’t believe it’s up to MLB to police when and where someone decides to slug a frosty. There are tens of thousands of fans crushing beers just feet away, why shouldn’t players be able to wind down with a High Life or raise a few Manweiser’s with a teammate after three-plus hours of baseball?
