PHOENIX — It could have been the first standing ovation for a beekeeper in history.
Certainly there has never been a beekeeper in the spotlight as he waved to the crowd while the public address speakers blared, “I need a hero.” »
And, after a delay of an hour and 55 minutes Tuesday night due to a colony of bees that formed on top of the protective netting above home plate, the Los Angeles Dodgers and Diamondbacks Arizona played a baseball game.
Naturally, the person who rejected the ceremonial first pitch was Matt Hilton, branch manager of the Blue Sky Pest Control office in Phoenix.
The entire pregame scene was surreal with the national anthem already playing, players preparing to play and a colony of bees forming faster than Diamondbacks starter Jordan Montgomery’s warmup pitches.
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“I got a call about five minutes before the game from our senior events director,” said Mike Rock, the D-backs’ vice president of baseball operations. “She usually doesn’t call me at that time, I knew something was wrong. She said, ‘We have bees landing on the net, right above home plate.’ “
Rock asked, “How much?” »
Kat McDonald, the senior manager, said: “Hundreds. No, wait, thousands.
Rock: “I knew we had a problem. »
Rock immediately alerted the umpiring crew, who informed D-backs manager Torey Lovullo and Dodgers manager Dave Roberts of the problem. There were serious safety concerns over fears that players and fans would be stung, with MLB officials saying the game could not start until the bee colony was removed.
The public address announcer asked fans to “please be patient” and then began playing The Beatles’ “Let It Be,” much to the crowd’s delight.
Players from each team first stood amusedly outside the dugouts, then retreated toward the clubhouse, wondering if the game would even be played.
The problem is that no one was immediately available.
Rock called Hilton, who has been with the company for 15 years, but was at his 6-year-old son’s T-ball game in Surprise, Ariz., 45 minutes away.
Rock then called the competitor’s company. They were even further away, in Buckeye, Arizona.
Rock begged Hilton to come as quickly as possible. Hilton apologized to his family, jumped in his truck and ran to Chase Field where a golf cart was waiting.
“It was the longest 45 minutes of my life,” Rock said.
Hilton donned his beekeeping suit, rose to the top of the net using a hydraulic scissor lift, vacuumed the colony and received an enthusiastic ovation when the work was completed, lifting hands in the air to encourage even more cheering.
“I thought I was just going to do my thing and go on a cruise,” Hilton said, “but it was good.”
Before he knew it, he was asked to throw out the first pitch and suddenly became a hero, with his face splashed across televisions and on the scoreboard.
“It was a little nerve-wracking, I’m not going to lie,” Hilton said. “A lot of pressure to get this game going, you know, but I was happy to come and take care of it.”
The Dodgers and Diamondbacks will play their final game of the series on Wednesday, and with gusty winds expected, it wouldn’t surprise anyone if they decide to play this one with the roof closed.
“I think we’ll probably install the scissor lift just to make sure,” Rock said. “We will ask Blue Sky what is the best thing to do to make sure they don’t come back to the same place. They’re here every day at 6 a.m., so we’ll have some of their best here in the morning.
The game finally began at 11:35 p.m. ET. The Diamondbacks scratched Montgomery, who had already warmed up, and he was replaced by left-handed reliever Brandon Hughes, who was making his first career start.
But at least there was a baseball game, where Matt Hilton became America’s most famous beekeeper.
News Source : www.usatoday.com
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