Philadelphia Phillies' bat boy works his dream job after surviving cancer

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Adam Crognale has found a home in the Philadelphia Phillies' dugout.

Hours before the first pitch is thrown, Crognale is sorting the players' bats, polishing their helmets, hanging their uniforms, and preparing the dugout for the game.

He spends 10 to 12 hours at the ballpark on game days.

"The time flies by," Crognale said. "Before you know it, it's BP and infield drills, and everything like that. Right after that, it's ready for game time, and I have to be ready basically an hour before each game."

Crognale doesn't take his job for granted, especially because 10 years ago he was watching Phillies games from his hospital bed at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.

In 2014, Crognale was diagnosed with lymphoma. Now cancer-free, his job as bat boy at the ballpark feels like a dream.

"When I went through everything that I did, I had a really big perspective on the fact that life is not guaranteed," Crognale reflected. "And the fact that at any moment, unfortunately, life can be taken away from you, and the privileges that you have can be taken away from you."

This is his fourth year working for the club, and he says it never gets old.

"I act like every single game is my last game out here on this field with the guys, and I act like there's no place I'd rather be because that's the truth," he told Action News.

Crognale recently won the Visionary of the Year award, recognizing his efforts in raising funds for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

"There's a desire to want to give back because I know how difficult of a journey that cancer can be," he explained. "Unfortunately, some people don't make it to where I'm at, which is alive and mobile. I want to make sure people are aware that there's a support system there for them because that's what I had; I'm grateful for that, but I'm well aware that not everybody has that. If I can help that process that's exactly what I want to do."