Who would have thought that a beekeeper would become the star of the evening at a major league baseball game in the USA? Certainly not him either.
In the USA, games in sports such as football, basketball and baseball are huge events – with a preshow, fun during breaks and all sorts of other fuss. A swarm of bees brought one of the spectacles to a standstill for two hours.
„Game delayed due to bee colony“
The pre-game show was over and the more than 28,000 fans in the stadium were waiting for the start of the LA Dodgers’ game against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Tuesday evening. Meanwhile, the athletes and organizers were looking worriedly at the safety net behind the baton: more and more bees were making themselves comfortable on the upper corner of the structure and seemed to be making themselves at home there.
We are in a…bee delay? Bee for real. pic.twitter.com/vI4J6vjQUJ
It quickly became clear: the game couldn’t start like that. The bees had to go. If a ball were to arrive near the swarm, there would be a risk that the bees would feel attacked, scatter and approach players and fans. A beekeeper was called. While we waited, “Let It Be” by The Beatles played in the stadium.
Beekeeper at baseball: the hero of the evening
Beekeeper Matt Hilton was greeted with a standing ovation by the fans in the stadium and cheered like a celebrity. But he was well aware of the pressure that was on him:
It was a little nerve-wracking, no joke. There was a lot of pressure to get the game running again, but I was happy to come and take care of it.
Bee Guy was loving every minute of this! 😆🐝 pic.twitter.com/4yeGXPHHsj
He sprayed the bees and sucked them off the line with some kind of vacuum cleaner. Good to know: The animals were not killed but were released outside the stadium.
The bee extraction is underway. pic.twitter.com/VZuEyY9cpX
After the bee problem: first pitch for beekeeper Matt Hilton
As a thank you for his heroic act, Hilton was allowed to throw the “ceremonial first pitch” – the first pitch of the game, which is usually thrown by a guest of honor.
2 hour first pitch delay because of a bees nest. Bee guy then threw out the first pitch lmao #Dodgers #Dbacks pic.twitter.com/wSyXuIM3RW
MV🐝! MV🐝!A huge thank you to Matt Hilton of Blue Sky Pest Control! You’ve set the world abuzz tonight. pic.twitter.com/53tZi9K4pz
Baseball autograph card for beekeeper Matt Hilton
But the hype surrounding the beekeeper wasn’t over yet. After his litter he had to give all sorts of interviews and his cell phone was no longer idle because friends and family had seen him on television. The star of the evening will now even get his own autograph card from a well-known baseball trading card brand:
🐝 𝗝𝗨𝗦𝗧 𝗜𝗡: We’ve signed a deal with Matt Hilton (the Bee Specialist from last night’s game) and we’re making autograph cards from his all-time great performance. pic.twitter.com/uftVYAbjkw
But the bees are also famous enough for a trading card:
The Chase Field Bee Swarm, 1975 Topps Mini#Dbacks #Dodgers pic.twitter.com/xEQynzGiL1
When has a baseball team’s official account ever posted fun facts about bees?
Fun bee fact #1:Almost 90% of wild plants and 75% of leading global crops depend on animal pollination. One out of every three mouthfuls of our food depends on pollinators such as bees. Crops that depend on pollination are five times more valuable than those that do not.
And if you enjoy English puns, you are welcome to read the answers to this X-Post from the Dodgers:
Send us your best bee puns. Winner gets to keep the bees. pic.twitter.com/upzxt0v27H
Sporty bees: in baseball, in tennis, in cricket…
So this time it hit baseball. Previously, other sports had to do with these hard-working animals. In Ireland, a swarm of bees struck in the middle of a cricket match:
Ireland
“Everyone lie on the ground!” 20,000 bees meet 22 cricket players: who will win?
Great weather, good atmosphere and lots of spectators at the cricket festival in Ireland. And then: a swarm of bees looking for a new home.
And tennis aces Alexander Zverev and Carlos Alcaraz were also swarmed by bees in March. But you have to ask yourself: would you prefer bees or a poisonous snake?
“Near the ball children – that was very dangerous!” Minutes of horror: highly poisonous snake at the ATP tennis tournament
There is a mixture of horror and hysterical laughter in the tennis stadium: one of Australia’s most poisonous snakes appeared next to the professionals.
2024-05-02 08:08:13
#Bees #2hour #delay #Dodgers
