Minnesota Twins rookie shortstop Brian Dozier, the former Itawamba AHS and Southern Miss standout, hit his first major-league home run on Sunday.

After the game, Dozier was able to get the ball back from the fan who caught it - in exchange for some autogaphed balls and a pair of batting gloves - and said he'll send it, and the pink cleats he wore on Sunday, to his mom in Fulton as a belated Mother's Day present. Story from the Twins MLB.com site here and another, more detailed version from a Fox Sports site here. And here is a story from the Star Tribune newspaper that talks more about Dozier's defense.

And here is a dandy story from the Pioneer Press newspaper - complete with a slideshow - that talks about Dozier's life growing up in Fulton and his path from there to the major leagues. It's nice work.

With a team that only reached 10 wins on Sunday - the last MLB team to double digits, the Twin Cities is embracing Brian Dozier as a feel-good story. When everything goes right, as it did on Sunday, that's easy.