Phillies players have taken notice of the job Crognale has done and supported him, and it wasn't so long ago when he would watch the Phillies every night in a hospital bed.
Crognale, with a chemotherapy port in his chest, trained himself that summer in the hospital to be nocturnal. There were better options — mostly baseball and sitcoms — on TV at night. He went to CHOP on Monday morning, stayed all week for chemo, went home for a few days, and did it all again while watching the Phils every night.Crognale already had a positive disposition, but his summer with cancer emboldened that outlook.
Bat boy is a part-time gig, the bottom rung in the clubhouse services department. Crognale won’t do it forever and hopes to stick with the Phillies in a full-time position. For now, this is a dream job with the chance to make an impact. The ‘94 Phillies protested their blue caps by throwing them in the trash and shredding them with Jay Leno
“They make you feel welcome. They care about you. If something is going on, they want to know about it. They’re cracking jokes with you in the dugout. They’re just a really fun group of guys. We’re there to help them but they don’t treat us that way.” Dave Hollins defined Macho Row for the 1993 Phillies. He wants his son to chart a more pleasant course.
A former Phillies executive found work as a blackjack dealer after being fired. Now he’s back in the game.