January 10, 2020

By Danny Gallagher

Canadian Baseball Network

Bill Humber's long-running Spring Training Class for Baseball Fans has a new home in this its 42nd annual edition.

After 41 years of operation at Seneca College, the class has been shifted to Beeton Hall at the Toronto Reference Library in downtown Toronto near the corner of Yonge and Bloor streets.

The move came about after Seneca's Continung Education officials advised Humber that the course was no longer financially viable and that the class did not figure in its plans for the future.

Also factored into the decision to move was that Humber no longer had a presence on the site since he officially retired as a Seneca teacher a year ago. Barry Naymark of Seneca, who had run the course with Larry Robertson in early 2019 when Humber stepped away, has also taken a paternity leave.

"This new direction is all very experimental so we'll see how it unfolds,'' Humber said in an interview.

Robertson and Ian Hamilton pursued other alternatives, one of them being the shutting down of the course. Humber said Hamilton was successful in working out a deal with the Toronto Public Library system.

As a follow up, Humber and Roberston met Jan. 7 with with Natalie Kertes, Senior Producer, Cultural and Special Event Programming at TPL, and Chelsea Dinsmore, a librarian at the reference library.

"The Toronto Public Library system offered the most intriguing opportunity. We encountered a lot of enthusiasm on their behalf so we began discussions to make that happen,'' Humber said. "They are a willing partner so we have basically come to an agreement to have four night sessions on March 5, 12, 19 and 26.

"Without this opportunity, we would have reluctantly, but necessarily, ended the course. Not only is this a central Toronto space located just a block north of the Bloor subway station, serving those from all directions, but it comes with an additional benefit – there is no charge.''

Humber also said the TPL is very keen on doing a major kick-off for the event in February at which time a splashy name with some name recognition will come and talk about baseball, while also promoting the March classes.

Over the years, the popular class has attracted speakers such as writers, authors, Blue Jays officials and other baseball minds as a way of getting fans into the baseball spirit while there is wintry weather outside.