William Humber

William Arthur Humber (born September 9, 1949 in Toronto, Ontario) is a Canadian sports historian, author, journalist, environmentalist, and educator.

Personal profile

Humber was born in Toronto, Ontario. He earned a bachelor of arts degree from the University of Toronto in 1972, and a master's degree in environmental studies from York University in 1975.

Writing

Humber is the author of several books on baseball, sports, the environment, and his hometown of Bowmanville, Ontario. He was appointed a member of the Order of Canada in 2021, and was inducted into the Ontario Baseball Association Hall of Fame in 2025.

Books by Humber Cheering for the Home Team: The Story of Baseball in Canada, Boston Mills Press (Erin, Ontario), 1983. Freewheeling: The Story of Bicycling in Canada, Boston Mills Press, 1986. (With Doris Falls) The History of Central Public School in Bowmanville, Josten's (Topeka, KS), 1989. Let's Play Ball: Inside the Perfect Game, Lester and Orpen, 1989. The Baseball Book and Trophy, Somerville House, 1993. The Kids' Soccer Book and Medallion, Somerville House, 1994. Diamonds of the North: A Concise History of Baseball in Canada, Oxford University Press (New York, NY), 1995. (With John St. James) All I Thought about Was Baseball: Essays on a Canadian Pastime, University of Toronto Press (Toronto), 1996. Bowmanville: A Small Town at the Edge, Natural Heritage, 1997. A Sporting Chance, Dundurn Press, 2004. (With Darryl Humber) Let it Snow: Keeping Canada's Winter Sports Alive, Dundurn Press, 2009. (With Velma Grover and Gail Krantzberg) The Regeneration Imperative: Revitalization of Built and Natural Assets, CRC Press, 2016. (With Bradley Humber) Soccer Triumphant, St. Johann Press, 2022. (With Wendy Simone Shoen, and John Simone) Tex Simone: The Man Who Saved Baseball in Syracuse, Wildebeest Publishing, 2024. Old Ontario at Bat: Baseball's Unheralded Ancestry, Centre for Canadian Baseball Research, 2024.