​Dernell Stenson in 2002.Credit: Craig Ambrosio/Allsport/GettyNEED TO KNOWDernell Stenson spent years in the minor leagues before making his MLB debut with the Cincinnati Reds in 2003Stenson was excelling in the Arizona Fall League when his promising career was tragically cut shortThe Chattanooga Lookouts retired his No. 26 and MLB created an award in his honor after his deathFor years, Dernell Stenson chased the dream shared by countless young baseball players: making it to the major leagues.He finally got there in August 2003, when the Cincinnati Reds called up the 25-year-old outfielder. Stenson had spent years stuck in the minor leagues, including portions of four seasons in the Boston Red Sox organization, before getting his chance with Cincinnati.His time in the majors was brief but promising. Stenson played 37 games for the Reds, batting .247 with three home runs and 13 RBIs. His final home run came on the last day of the 2003 regular season, giving Cincinnati its final run of the year.Then, just over two months after his Major League debut, Stenson was dead.His story is the focus of “A Future Cut Short,” the fifth episode of Investigation Discovery’s Game Day Murdersdocuseries, premiering Aug. 24.Paw Sox manager Gary Jones (left) and Dernell Stenson.Credit: MediaNews Group/Boston Herald via Getty“Baseball takes a lot of mental toughness,” says Game Day Murders host Lindsay Czarniak in “A Future Cut Short.” “You don’t realize how difficult it is to actually get the call up to the Majors. For a guy like Dernell Stenson, that first Major League home run was like seeing the greatness to come. But as thrilling and amazing as this moment was, it is chilling to think he would be murdered two months later.”Stenson was born June 17, 1978, in LaGrange, Ga., the youngest of eight children. At LaGrange High School, Stenson emerged as a standout baseball player and attracted the attention of Major League scouts. The Boston Red Sox selected him in the third round of the 1996 MLB draft, 91st overall.Stenson moved quickly through the lower levels of the minors, but his path to the majors was hardly a straight line. He eventually reached Triple-A and spent parts of four seasons with Pawtucket, the Red Sox’ top minor league affiliate, before leaving the organization as a six-year minor league free agent.In 2003, he officially signed with the Reds and immediately made a strong impression. Playing for Double-A Chattanooga, he hit .306 with 14 home runs and 76 RBIs in 101 games. He also spent time at Triple-A Louisville before Cincinnati finally gave him the call.Dernell Stenson in 2001.Credit: Ezra Shaw/Allsport/GettyOn Aug. 13, 2003, Stenson made his Major League debut against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Just three days later, he collected three hits, including two doubles, in his first Major League start, against Houston. Later that season, he made three impressive catches in left field to help preserve a Reds victory over Montreal. On S