Stand up Diamondbacks fans in Yuma and La Paz counties or wherever you may be.
Arizona's Major League Baseball team is going back to the World Series for the first time since they won Arizona's first major pro sports championship in 2001. That team beat the mighty New York Yankees in a classic Game 7 at Chase Field.
This year's team, which even the most diehard fanatic did likely not see making it this far this season, earned their trip to the Fall Classic for the first time in 22 years Tuesday by stunning the Philadelphia Phillies 4-2 in Game 7 of the National League Championship Series.
Arizona will play the Texas Rangers in an all-Wild Card World Series no one saw coming, with Game 1 set for Friday in Arlington, Tex.
A Phoenix lawmaker wants to give Diamondbacks fans an extra hour of alcohol-fueled revelry to celebrate their reaching the World Series.
But the proposal by Republican Matt Gress to extend the hours during which alcohol could be sold and served wouldn't be limited to those rooting for the home team when they are playing at Chase Field.
Supporters of the Texas Rangers who happened to be in Arizona also could celebrate until 3 a.m. And so could even people who actually hate baseball.
Gress on Tuesday sent a letter to Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs pointing out that state law actually gives her the power to extend closing time by an extra hour "in connection with a professional or collegiate national sporting championship event held in this state.''
The statute says that Hobbs has to consult with her Office of Highway Safety and "the public safety community in this state.''
But the ultimate decision is hers.
As of late Tuesday, Hobbs had no response.
But the clock is ticking: The first home game for the Diamondbacks in the series -- the kind of event that would trigger the law -- is this coming Monday.
Gress said there's nothing outrageous in getting a one-hour extension.
The provision was tucked into a much larger series of changes to liquor laws in 2022, something he said was included in anticipation of the Super Bowl coming in February to Glendale.
No one testified against the bill and it was approved with near-unanimous support.
But Gress said that, for whatever reason, no one paid any attention to it or asked Hobbs to issue a declaration.
Gress said he sees the extra hour as "a good middle ground'' between the current 2 a.m. "last call'' and those who would want to keep the party going even later into the wee hours of the morning.
But that law was crafted in anticipation of a single championship game, and just one night of extra-hour drinking.
A declaration by the governor in this case would mean at least two nights -- Games 3 and 4 on Halloween played here -- and Game 5 on Nov. 1 if the series goes that far.
While a 3 a.m. close would be uncharted area for the state, the idea of making alcohol more available at more times is not unusual.
Until August 2004, the sale of beer, wine and spirits halted as 1 a.m. All that changed when then-Gov. Janet Napolitano signed legislation adding an extra hour into the schedule.
More recently, lawmakers agreed to scrap a state law that banned alcohol sales on Election Day.
Less clear is whether everyone in the state might get to order drinks until 3 a.m.
Gress said he believes the law is flexible and gives the governor some options.
"I think there is latitude for the governor to tailor this for jurisdictions,'' he said, including some counties but not others. But Gress questioned why she might do that.
"I suspect everyone in the state of Arizona would want to celebrate,'' he said. "If they want to go to an 'extra inning' at a bar, and you're in Prescott on Whiskey Row, I think you should be able to benefit from this as well.''
Gress said, though, that the law appears clear that if the governor grants the extension, it would not apply only to bars or restaurants that serve alcoholic beverages. He said it also would add an additional hour on the applicable nights for someone to stop by a local liquor, grocery or convenience store to pick up a bottle or six pack to go.
One thing that is sure is that, unlike the NLCS when a 2:07 p.m. local start time for Game 3 and a drop in interest after the Diamondbacks lost the first two games led to ticket prices as low as $5 plus fees and many under $100, prices for World Series tickets in Phoenix are not cheap.
As of Wednesday afternoon, the cheapest ticket available on Stubhub.com was $529 plus fees for Game 4.
Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes warns Diamondbacks fans to be vigilant about World Series scams. Mayes said you should only buy tickets from trusted vendors including Ticketmaster (that site was sold out as of Wednesday afternoon although it's popular with resellers) and Stubhub.
She also said to make hotel and lodging reservations with trusted vendors as that is another area that may look to take advantage of DBacks fans.
Go Diamondbacks! #BeatTheRangers #EmbraceTheChaos
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The Associated Press contributed to this report.
