Remember Beekeeper Matt? Carroll has his card
This browser does not support the video element.
This story was excerpted from Steve Gilbert¡¯s D-backs Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.
The D-backs¡¯ April 30 game this year against the Dodgers will certainly live on in franchise history.
No, there wasn¡¯t a fight between the two NL West rivals. There weren¡¯t any records set. And while Christian Walker hit a two-run homer in the 10th for a walk-off win, that won¡¯t be what people most remember about that night.
No, it will be what happened before the game even started when a colony of bees took over the backstop netting and forced a 1 hour, 55 minute delay to the start of the game.
The D-backs called Blue Sky Pest Control for help and they dispatched Matt Hilton, who was enjoying his son¡¯s final Little League game of the season, to help.
The game drew national attention and Hilton wound up throwing out the first pitch and doing multiple media interviews.
This browser does not support the video element.
The Topps baseball card company noticed all the attention Hilton and the game got and came out with a limited-edition Matt the Beekeeper card available for sale. The card came with the caption ¡°Bee Afraid, Bee Very Afraid: Bees Swarm In Arizona.¡±
D-backs outfielder Corbin Carroll, who played in the game and had started his own baseball card collection during Spring Training, was one of those who purchased a card.
Part of what Carroll focuses on when collecting his cards are memories he wants to keep. He collects cards of players from his 2019 Draft class as well as teammates, so he wanted the Hilton card to remind him of the ¡°Bee Game.¡±
¡°Just having been part of the game, I thought it was kind of funny and ordered some of the cards online,¡± Carroll said.
This browser does not support the video element.
Lo and behold, after he received his cards, Carroll had another reason to remember who Hilton was.
¡°I ended up having a bee problem myself,¡± Carroll said referring to his home in the Phoenix area. ¡°And who else comes to help me but Matt the Beekeeper. He came to my house to take care of it and I got that card signed in person.¡±
So Carroll now has a signed Matt the Beekeeper card and a picture of Hilton in his house signing the card.