Philadelphia Phillies' bat boy on mission to give back while working his "dream job"
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The Philadelphia Phillies' bat boy is known for being quick on his feet, but the 25-year-old from New Jersey also wants to be known for giving back.
"As soon as I get here, I'm pretty much rolling the rest of the day," Adam Crognale said before a game at Citizens Bank Park earlier this month.
Hours before the players show up, the Phillies' bat boy is getting the team ready. This is Crognale's fourth season with the Phillies.
"It's a dream job," Crognale said.
Growing up, Crognale played ball himself and jumped at the opportunity to work for his favorite team.
"There's nothing better than coming to this ballpark. I've said that since I was a 5-year-old kid, and I probably will not stop saying that," Crognale said.
It was a dream job that almost didn't happen, though. Ten years ago, Crognale's life changed forever after he was diagnosed with Diffuse Large B-cell lymphoma in his knee.
"I couldn't walk, which honestly is ironic today, because now I'm known as a fast-running bat boy, which you can't run without your knees," Crognale said.
It was then, though, that he made it his goal to give back.
"Some people could look at it as a negative, and some people could look at it as a positive. And for me, I looked at it as a positive because ultimately, some people don't make it out," Crognale said.
Last October, Liam Castellanos designed a T-shirt benefiting a local nonprofit, Kisses for Kyle. The slugger's son said it was because of his friendship with Crognale and Crognale's ties to the organization. When Crognale was going through cancer, Kisses for Kyle helped.
Fast forward to this spring and Crognale went into the running for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's Visionaries of the Year Greater Philadelphia. He said he is raising money for the philanthropic competition to help patient advocacy. His next fundraiser is Thursday night.
Simply put, being "a positive force" is how Crognale lives his life.
"I think a big reason why I'm still here, after everything I went through, is to give back," Crognale said.
His mission isn't slowing down any time soon.
