Matt Hilton from Blue Sky Pest Control became an unlikely MVP at the Major League Baseball (MLB) game between the Arizona Diamondbacks and the LA Dodgers. Matt went from tee-ball to the major leagues in one day! He started his day at his son’s tee-ball game. Just as the tee-ball game was getting underway, he received an emergency call from Diamondbacks VP of Operations Mike Rock. The big league baseball game at Chase Field was on a bee delay.
Matt Hilton works for Blue Sky Pest Control.
— Front Office Sports (@FOS) May 1, 2024
Last night, he was at his son's tee ball game when he got called to remove some bees—a massive swarm delaying Dodgers-Dbacks.
A few hours later, he was throwing out the ceremonial first pitch at an MLB game.pic.twitter.com/5WlSSdcXzX
A swarm of bees had taken up residence on the netting behind home plate. Matt had an escort onto the field like a boss, riding in on a golf cart with his gear in hand. He waved to the crowd and got the hero treatment, complete with a standing ovation. Setting up quickly, he went to work to remove the bees humanely.
Chase Field provided a scissor lift to allow Matt to reach the bees. Once the task was complete, the fans began chanting, “MVP! MVP!” The marquee was blazing, “Thank you bee guy.” And if all that wasn’t thanks enough for the speedy response to this un-bee-lievable delay, Matt even got to throw out the first pitch!
Although his 6-year-old son, Levi, was a bit miffed that his dad left his tee-ball game, he did mellow after hearing about his dad’s adventures in the big leagues. He now has bragging rights in school because his dad is famous. Perhaps one day, Matt will be watching Levi play at Chase Field.
The Bee Delay Ended, And The Baseball Game Began
After Matt threw out the honorary first pitch, the bee delay ended, and the announcer called out, “Play BALL!” at 8:35 PM. Kudos to the Diamondback staff, the Dodgers, and the MLB for acting quickly to protect the fans and players. Matt deserves the MVP award for his heroic performance. He hammed it up for the crowd so they didn’t mind the bees delaying the baseball game as much.
This was not the first swarm of bees to interrupt a baseball game, and it will probably not be the last. However, it is the largest swarm experienced at Chase Stadium. Players and fans greatly appreciated Matt’s quick and efficient cleanup.
You can find the source of this story’s featured image here and here.
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