Up on the top shelf of Joe Mancini’s bookcase is a baseball that he has kept for more than 15 years.

That ball came off the bat of Christian Walker early in his days at Kennedy-Kenrick Catholic High School. It was a grand slam, and Mancini, there to watch one of his oldest friends play, raced beyond the outfield wall to go fetch it.

Walker and Mancini, now in his mid-30s, drifted apart after high school. But, for Mancini at least, their bond still resonates. That ball isn’t just a keepsake, it’s a point of pride he shows to anyone in his home. At work, he’ll play Walker’s highlight clips for coworkers and boasts that he knows the MLB star.

In Norristown, Pa., a Philadelphia suburb of 35,000 people, Walker is a hometown hero. He’s not the home run leader that’s helped power the Diamondbacks to their first NLCS since 2007. He’s just a kid who is remembered fondly.

This week, Mancini said he plans to get tickets to see his old friend, and favorite team, at Citizens Bank Park.

“When he gets up to bat, I don’t think I’ll boo that one,” Mancini said. “I think I’ll just tip my hat. Like, alright, let’s see what you got.”

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