Adam Crognale, KLN ’21, has been the Philadelphia Phillies’ bat boy since 2021, even working during the 2022 World Series. But he was thrust further into the spotlight this year when he jumped up the dugout steps to snag a sharply hit Kyle Schwarber foul ball with his bare hands. The catch earned him a nomination to be voted into the MLB All-Star Game by fans as part of the All-Star Ball Crew. 

“Based on the trajectory of the ball, if I hadn’t jumped up and caught it, it may have hit Trea Turner—who was studying film on an iPad at the bottom of the dugout next to the bat rack—right in the head,” Crognale said. “Right after the game, my phone was blowing up—MLB had already picked up the clip that was televised on NBC Sports Philadelphia and posted it on social media.” 

A couple of weeks after the catch went viral, MLB contacted the Phillies to ask if Crognale was interested in being on the fan-voted All-Star ballot. The answer was an easy yes, and the response was overwhelming, with thousands of votes pouring in for the popular Phillies bat boy. 

“With Philadelphia fans, there’s always a tremendous amount of support for everything,” said Crognale. “I’m grateful for the Phillies putting that video out there and promoting that fans could vote for me to go to the All-Star Game. Without all that support throughout the Delaware Valley, I’m not recounting my trip to Atlanta.”  

MLB sent the Cherry Hill native on a four-night trip to the All-Star Game at Truist Park in Atlanta, which included tickets to the draft on Sunday night. He also attended the MLB Home Run Derby and watched Phillies legend Ryan Howard participate in the Home Run Derby X. It was a full-circle moment for Crognale, whose Phillies fandom can be traced back to 2006 when he saw Howard win the traditional Home Run Derby. 

In Crognale’s role at the All-Star Game, he worked along the right field line, retrieving any foul balls that came his way. Before the top of the fourth inning, he noticed Fernando Tatís Jr. was looking around for someone to warm his arm up after replacing Ronald Acuña Jr. in right field. Crognale stood up along the foul line to get his attention, and eventually, Tatís, through his peripheral vision, noticed him. After a head nod, the two began a series of warmup long tosses.

“It was my favorite moment working the All-Star Game, I could just read from [Tatís] Nando’s body language that he was wondering ‘where is the guy to warm me up,’” Crognale said. “It was surreal that I got to have a good 90-foot distance catch with a player who is not only a Silver Slugger, but a perennial All-Star. When we were done throwing, he gave me one of those gestures with his glove to thank me; it was a cool moment.” 

Crognale’s rise to All Star ball boy fandom did not come without its challenges. In 2014, he faced the battle of his life when he was diagnosed with lymphoma at the age of 15. That summer, he battled through chemotherapy and has been cancer-free ever since. While studying broadcast journalism at Temple’s Klein College of Media and Communication, he received his first gig with the Phillies as a 50-50 raffle ticket seller in 2019. Two years later, he became the Phillies’ bat boy, which he describes as “a dream job.”  

In Crognale’s role as the Phillies’ bat boy, fans often pay attention to him sprinting after every at-bat to retrieve bats and assist players with their gear and or hustling to catch foul balls hit in the dugout and deliver new balls to the home plate umpire. He even occasionally retrieves milestone baseballs for the team like Bryce Harper’s 1,000th career RBI this year, which Crognale described as the most memorable milestone ball he ever retrieved in a game.  

Although Crognale does not travel with the team, his role still requires him to work 81 home games during the 162-game season. It is a rewarding but physically demanding role that requires long hours behind the scenes.

He starts his day by hanging up the players’ jerseys from the night before and stocking the bullpen and dugout with towels, drinks and snacks like gum and sunflower seeds. His responsibilities include polishing the players’ helmets, ensuring the proper arm guards and equipment are in the correct helmets, and that all the bats designated for each player are correctly stored in the dugout racks.  

Crognale must be available for batting practice if players need something. He also cleans the players’ cleats from batting practice before he gets changed into his Phillies uniform about an hour before the game. He holds onto the bats in a bat bag for some of the players, whereas others prefer to keep them after the games. He said that it is a lot of inventory to maintain, yet his mentality is “always hustle.” 

“The job doesn’t require you to be sprinting constantly; however, I’ve always done it that way and at this point, a lot of people have known me for that and respect me for it,” said Crognale. “Running hard is just who I am. I run around nonstop for three hours consistently for 80-plus games a year in the heat, so I must stay hydrated and eat right.”   

During Crognale’s first game back to work after the All-Star break, he witnessed the Phillies unveil the logo for the 2026 All-Star Game, which will take place at Citizens Bank Park next year. It will be the first time that Philadelphia will host the MLB All-Star Game since 1996.  

“I love the Major League Baseball All-Star Game more than any other All-Star game. The Home Run Derby is my favorite event of any sport, and I have been dreaming about Citizens Bank Park hosting the All-Star Game since I was like 5 years old,” Crognale said. “Actually being the bat boy for the game, in this city is the biggest dream come true that I could have in this role, other than winning the World Series.”