The Philadelphia Phillies’ bat boy on a mission to give back while working on his “dream job.”

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – The Philadelphia Phillies bat boy is known for his quick attitude, but the 25-year-old from New Jersey also wants to be known for his return.

“As soon as I get here, I’m pretty much rolling the rest of the day,” Phillies bat boy Adam Crognale said before a game at Citizens Bank Park earlier this month.

Hours before the players show up, he prepares the team. This is his fourth season with the Phillies.

“It’s a dream job,” Crognale said.

Growing up, Crognale played ball himself and jumped at the chance to work for his favorite team.

“There’s nothing better than coming to this ballpark. I’ve been saying that since I was a five-year-old kid, and I probably won’t keep saying that,” Crognale said as he stood in the clubhouse.

However, it was a dream job that almost didn’t happen. 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 is honestly ironic today because now I’m known as a fast-running bat boy, which you can’t run without your knees,” Crognale said.

But in that moment, he made it his goal to give back.

“Some people can look at it as a negative, and some people can look at it as a positive. And for me, I looked at it as a positive because some people don’t make it in the end,” Crognale said.

Last October, Liam Castellanos designed a T-shirt to benefit a local nonprofit, Kisses for Kyle. The superstar’s son said this was because of his friendship with Crognale and Crognale’s ties to the organization. When Crognale was diagnosed with cancer, Kisses for Kyle helped.

Fast forward to this spring, and Crognale was in 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 promote patient advocacy. His next fundraiser is Thursday evening.

Simply put, being “a force for good” is how Crognale lives his life.

“I think a big reason why I’m still here, after everything I’ve been through, is to give back,” Crognale said.

His mission isn’t slowing down anytime soon.