A sad day

Heard this morning and just saw it on Penn Live. Tim was one of the top officials in the L-L League. Got to know Tim not only as an official, but as a youth baseball coach in the Ephrata area.

Veteran ref Timothy M. Bartholomew, 50, of Akron, died last night after suffering an apparent heart attack after he officiated the overtime playoff boys game between Hershey and Boiling Springs held at Red Land High School, officials said.

Rich Czarnecki, men's officials' representative for District 3, said Bartholomew was seated on a chair in a locker room after the 6 p.m. game when he slumped over and was unresponsive.

Czarnecki said Bartholomew's fellow officials called for Red Land Athletic Director Brian McNamara who summoned an ambulance and began cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

Bartholomew was taken to Harrisburg Hospital, Czarnecki said.

Czarnecki was shocked. He said he met with Bartholomew at halftime of the game when the two shook hands and embraced before Czarnecki left to attend another game.

"It's not the exercise and the cardio, it's the stress,'' Czarnecki said. "And you're talking about a playoff situation. Being an official is very stressful.''

"He was one of my veteran guys and he worked all the time,'' Czarnecki said.