“The Bee Guy” Matt Hilton Bobblehead Unveiled

MILWAUKEE – This morning, the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum unveiled a limited-edition bobblehead of Matt Hilton, a Phoenix-area pest control specialist who created a buzz and achieved hero status for successfully removing a colony of bees that delayed the Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Los Angeles Dodgers game on Tuesday, April 30th at Chase Field. The special edition bobblehead is being produced by the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum in conjunction with Matt Hilton.

Standing on a circular turf-like base with “MATT HILTON – THE BEE GUY” across the front, the smiling Hilton bobblehead has his arms extended in triumph before throwing out the ceremonial first pitch. The front of the base also includes a small bee, which also has a bobbling head. The bobbleheads, which will be individually numbered, are available exclusively through the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum’s Online Store. The bobbleheads, which are expected to ship in November, cost $30 each, plus a flat-rate shipping charge of $8 per order.

Minutes before the start of the Diamondbacks-Dodgers game on Tuesday, April 30th at Chase Field, a bee swarm quickly formed atop the protective netting behind home plate. That caused a delay of nearly two hours as players and fans waited for someone to remove the colony and save the day. Enter Matt Hilton – the Bee Guy. The branch manager of a pest control office in Phoenix was watching his 6-year-old son’s T-ball game 45 minutes away when he got the call to help at Chase Field. The public address announcer informed fans the game would not start on time and a message flashed on the scoreboard: “We ask that you please bee patient.”

Once he arrived at Chase Field, Hilton hyped up the crowd as he was driven in a golf cart to meet the bees. The crowd chanted “MVP!” and the Bonnie Tyler song “Holding Out for a Hero” blared through the speakers. Ascending on a hydraulic scissor lift after putting on his protective suit, Hilton quickly got to work, spraying and vacuuming the bees into sealed containers. He got a standing ovation as he descended as he pumped his fist into the air to encourage even louder cheers from the appreciative crowd. When Hilton came to the ground, Diamondbacks officials asked him to throw out the ceremonial first pitch, and he obliged while still wearing his protective suit.

The 37-year-old Hilton quickly became a viral sensation for saving the day. In addition to having his very own press conference after the incident, his efforts were further rewarded when Topps announced that they would very releasing his very own trading card. Autographed cards with his signature and “Bee Specialist” would be released as well. Those cards are no longer available for purchase as more than 16,000 cards were sold of the overnight sensation in just 24 hours. The Diamondbacks also announced that they would be offering “buy-one-get-one” tickets for the weekend series against the San Diego Padres, calling them “free-bee” tickets in honor of Hilton’s heroics.

When asked about having his own bobblehead, Matt said, “I didn’t think much could top having my own trading card of that crazy night at Chase Field. When I heard about the bobblehead being made of my moment on the pitcher’s mound, I was stoked! How could I pass up an opportunity to have that once in a lifetime moment molded into a bobblehead? This will be a family treasure!”

“We’re excited to create this bobblehead of ‘The Bee Guy’ Matt Hilton who became the most famous guy in baseball for a while,” National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum co-founder and CEO Phil Sklar said. “While Matt didn’t show up in the box score from the Diamondbacks-Dodgers game on April 30th at Chase Field, he certainly got the save – and created quite a buzz in the process. This bobblehead is sure to be a must-have for fans!”

About the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum:
The National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum, which is located at 170 S. 1^st. St. in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, opened to the public on February 1^st, 2019. The HOF and Museum also produces high quality, customized bobbleheads for retail sale as well as organizations, individuals and teams across the country. Visit us online and on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.