Diamondbacks bee specialist gets his own Topps card to commemorate special night

Just one month into the 2024 season, Major League Baseball has provided wardrobe malfunctions, gambling scandals, and public bickering between the league and players association about mounting pitcher injuries. And, of course, delays. There have been solar eclipse postponements, rain delays, and a bee delay.

The Arizona Diamondbacks were prepared to take on the Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday night, but the buzz surrounding Chase Field got out of control. A bee colony decided to attend the game, and they claimed the best seats in the house. Five minutes before the game, the colony descended on the protective netting behind home plate.

Just as fans began to become restless, Blue Sky Pest Control's bee specialist Matt Hilton successfully managed to remove the bees, ending the two-hour delay. In a game that featured Dodgers stars Mookie Betts, Shohei Ohtani and Freddie Freeman, it was Hilton who became the hero.

Bee specialist Matt Hilton received his own baseball card

Topps announced a deal with Hilton to make autographed cards that would commemorate his performance. The card features a photo of Hilton prior to his ceremonial first pitch. The caption on the card reads, "BEE AFRAID, BE VERY AFRAID: BEES SWARM IN ARIZONA."

Along with the card, Hilton was honored throughout the night. He received a standing ovation from the crowd on his way in. He was performative and entertaining during the bee removal. After the successful removal of the bees, he held post-removal press conferences and threw the ceremonial first pitch before the game.

"It was a little nerve-wracking, I'm not going to lie,” Hilton said. “Lot of pressure to get this game going. But I was happy to come and take care of it."

Hilton's cards are available for $8.99 through the rest of the day. Those who buy a card have a chance of receiving an autographed specialty card.

The game started at 8:35 p.m. MST, one hour and 55 minutes after the scheduled start. Christian Walker's second homer gave the Diamondbacks a 4-3 walk-off victory in the 10th inning, but Hilton was still the real winner of the night.