Baseball Career
The youngest of eight children, Dernell was the son of lumberjack James Stenson and his wife Cora. He starred in baseball at LaGrange High School in LaGrange, Georgia, the same high school attended by MLB outfielder Mike Cameron. There, Stenson attracted the attention of scouts for the Boston Red Sox, and he was selected in the third round with the ninety-first overall pick of the 1996 Major League Baseball Draft.
Stenson advanced quickly through the low minor leagues before reaching a plateau at Triple-A. He spent parts of four seasons at the Red Sox' affiliate in Pawtucket before leaving the organization as a six-year minor league free agent. Stenson signed with the Cincinnati Reds for the 2003 season, and after performing well in the minors, he was called up in September. Stenson appeared in a total of 37 games, primarily as a left or right fielder, batting .247 with three home runs in 81 at-bats. After the season, Stenson was chosen to represent his organization in the Arizona Fall League (AFL).
While playing with the Scottsdale Scorpions of the AFL, Stenson was murdered, for reasons that are still unclear. The AFL suspended play for two days after Stenson's murder. In 2004, the league inaugurated the Dernell Stenson Sportsmanship Award, given to a player who displays the values of perseverance and humility. His number was posthumously retired by the Reds' Double-A team, the Chattanooga Lookouts.
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