Office Hours is a series focusing on unique artifacts that BYU employees display in their offices.
Baseballs. A unique way to record travels and remember those who inspire you.
Lined along the windowsill of Steve Thygerson's office are more than 50 unique baseballs, some brought back from travels while others contain signatures from people who have inspired him.
"I started collecting baseballs over 20 years ago,” said Thygerson, a public health professor. I thought it was kind of a cool way to remember where I've been and the people I've been with," he shared. "I prefer getting signatures — and even little numbers — from people I admire."
As a former baseball player himself, Thygerson found baseballs to be the perfect way to preserve memories. His first baseball, displayed front and center in the collection, was signed by his wife more than 20 years ago. Later, his children added their signatures as well.
Since then, Thygerson has gathered baseballs from Disney, national parks, the M&M Store in Las Vegas, Japan, Switzerland, Maryland and Texas. For countries where baseballs aren't readily available, he has even collected baseball-shaped souvenirs to represent his travels.
Each baseball contains a story of memories made or individuals met along the way. One of his favorites came from Japan, where a group of BYU students searched unsuccessfully for a baseball to bring back to him. Eventually, they approached a Little League team in Osaka and asked if they could purchase a ball. Instead, the players gifted them one and signed it for him.
Not all of Thygerson's souvenirs come from across the country or around the world. Among his most meaningful keepsakes are BYU baseballs purchased at the BYU Store. Each baseball reminds him of the students he teaches every semester.
On the last day of class, Thygerson passes around a baseball and invites each student to sign it before adding the semester and year.
"The people I admire most are my family, my friends and honestly, the students here at BYU," he said.
But the baseballs serve a purpose beyond preserving memories. They also add personality to the office where Thygerson spends much of his day.
"Stark white walls are no fun when you're spending so much time there. You've got to make the space your own," he said. "I think that's one of the special things about offices. They become a home away from home."
