Two men whose history with the Indiana Pacers goes back to the beginning of the franchise passed away recently – one who specialized in words and the other in numbers.
Dick Denny, who covered the Pacers' first five seasons for the Indianapolis News, died on Dec. 29. Gene Hemelgarn, an original member of their stat crew, died on Dec. 23.
Denny was a Richmond, Ind. native who attended Duke and was a catcher on the university's baseball team that reached the College World Series in 1952. He played in the Army as well, and on semi-pro teams afterward.