<http://schema.org/articleBody>
"&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; MLB umpire Wally Bell died Monday of an apparent heart attack. (G Fiume/Getty Images)&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Veteran major-league umpire Wally Bell died Monday afternoon of an apparent heart attack, according to multiple reports. He was 48.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The Youngstown Vindicator first reported the news. MLB Commissioner Bud Selig released a statement, according to MLB.com:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;\"All of us at Major League Baseball are in mourning tonight regarding the sudden passing of Wally Bell. I always enjoyed seeing Wally, who was a terrific umpire and such an impressive young man. On behalf of our 30 Clubs, I extend my deepest condolences to Wally's family, fellow Umpires and his many friends throughout the game.\"&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Bell had spent 21 years as an umpire in the majors. He worked in two All-Star Games, seven Division Series, four League Championship Series, and the 2006 World Series. He umpired the 2013 NLDS between the Pittsburgh Pirates and St. Louis Cardinals.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Bell had open-heart surgery in 1999. According to his official major-league biography, his proudest moment was returning to work after that surgery.\nMajor League umpire Joe West, president of the World Umpires Association, said in a statement: \"Wally was a great umpire, a great partner and a great friend. The umpiring community is deeply saddened by this tragic loss. He will be sorely missed by many.\"&lt;/p&gt;"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.si.com/si-wire/2013/10/15/wally-bell-mlb-umpire-dies-dead-heart-attack>