The last long ball hit by baseball's true HR king

The ball hit by Hank Aaron (Baseball's True HR Champ) for his final career home run (No. 755) is on loan at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, N.Y.

Photo by Darrin M. Devault (taken on July 26, 2009)

Herrreee's Ozzie!

Mascot Ozzie has been entertaining Nashville Sounds fans at Greer Stadium for many years. He confided to me that his all-time favorite players are Ozzie Smith and Ozzie Guillen, now the manager of the Chicago White Sox.

Photo by Darrin M. Devault (taken on Aug. 26, 2010)

Hunka, hunka ballplayer

Hometown hero Elvis is depicted as a Memphis Redbirds baseball player on the club level of AutoZone Park in downtown Memphis.

Photo by Darrin M. Devault (taken on Sept. 17, 2010)

"Train up a child..."

Sign in a youth baseball dugout in Bolivar, Tenn.

Photo by Darrin M. Devault (taken in June 2010)

RIP ~ Jeremy Steven Devault, a Red Sox fan

Red Sox Nation lost a true fan earlier this month.

I lost something greater—my first cousin.

Jeremy Steven Devault died April 3, one day before his beloved Boston Red Sox opened the 2010 baseball season against The Damn Yankees.

Only 36, Jeremy was the victim of a sudden and massive heart attack.

Those who knew Big Jer remain in shock.

However, I couldn't help but smile this morning when my Aunt B shared some photos that she took last weekend at Jeremy's final resting place—Prospect Cemetery in his hometown of Hollow Rock, Tenn.

One of his dear friends has adorned the grave with a small Boston Red Sox flag. He would have loved it.

I also think he would have loved the outpouring of love from the 200+ friends who turned out for his funeral.

Baseball Hall of Famer and philosopher Yogi Berra once said "you can observe a lot by watching."

Well, I had the good fortune to observe Jeremy's life in three phases: as a child, as a young adult, and as "the man about town" who influenced everyone around him.

To be continued.

Catching Dan Haren, a rising star

Dan Haren is now an established big-league pitcher, but he was a fast-rising star for the Triple-A Memphis Redbirds when I photographed him on July 6, 2004, at AutoZone Park in Memphis.

Haren, a two-time All-Star, just completed a terrific first season for the Arizona Diamondbacks, compiling a 16-8 record in 2008. He previously pitched for St. Louis and Oakland.

Photo by Darrin M. Devault

All Tennessee team

What players would constitute an all-star team of players native to Tennessee?

1B - Todd Helton (Knoxville)
2B - Phil Garner (Jefferson City)
SS -
3B - Bill "Mad Dog" Madlock (Memphis)
LF - Joe Scott (Memphis)
CF - Steve Finley (Union City)
RF - "Gentleman" Jim Hickman (Henning)
C - Tim McCarver (Memphis)
SP - Vada Pinson (Memphis)
RHP -

LHP - David West (Memphis)
Mgr. - Phil Garner (Jefferson City, Tenn.)

What do you think? Who would you add/delete?