Eckstein promoted to Ontario Blue Jays president, Ellison remains GM

Corey Eckstein has been promoted to president of the Ontario Blue Jays.

October 30, 2021

Official Ontario Blue Jays News Release

It was a seismic Saturday in the Ontario Blue Jays’ front office.

The club announced that Corey Eckstein would be promoted to the position of president of OBJ and The Athlete Matrix. Joe Ellison will remain in his role as general manager.

“It has been a very eventful year for all athletes and coaches alike at the Ontario Blue Jays and Athlete Matrix. I am proud of the efforts our team has made to provide the best possible program while always prioritizing the health and well being of all our employees and athletes,” said owner, Joe Wilkinson.

“Today, I am excited to announce that Corey Eckstein has accepted a new position as president of the Ontario Blue Jays and The Athlete Matrix. Corey will oversee daily operations and the ongoing growth of our program alongside our general manager, Joe Ellison. Corey has shown a philosophy and leadership style that focusses on personal growth while also being able to communicate in a manner that is most beneficial to us. This position will take time to settle in to, but Stephanie and I are confident that Corey and Joe will continue to strive to make the Ontario Blue Jays and Athlete Matrix the best program offered in Canada. They both have our full support, and we are extremely excited about the future of the program.”

Eckstein will take the reigns of the program he joined in 2020 after leading the Abbotsford Cardinals of the BC Premier League for over a decade. If you’re wondering what exactly has changed in the front office power structure, it won’t be anything that is immediately noticeable. That is the beauty of having two people with the same vision beside each other each day. It is a collaborative effort on a daily basis and that is what makes the situation unique.

“Joe (Ellison) and I have been unified in our decision making since the moment I got here and that is not going to change moving forward. He was instrumental in convincing my family and I to move here and for that I will always be grateful,” said Eckstein.

“It’s been a collective effort from a lot of different people over the past year and I am proud of all the things our administration team has been able to accomplish during COVID. I believe Joe and I off-set each other well in the office. Good cop, bad cop if you will. Joe demonstrates certain abilities that I can only dream of having administratively. I believe I bring a different style of leadership and communicative qualities that ownership was looking for and I will do my best to live up to the prestige that OBJ has carried over the years. At the end of the day, I want the people I work with at OBJ to be happy. I just want to be a sounding board for the people I serve and hopefully watch them all grow and into successful coaches, husbands and fathers inside our walls."

Ellison is looking forward to continuing to work with Eckstein.

"Corey and I have worked side-by-side in everything since he's joined us a few years ago,” said Ellison. “Getting Corey on board was my number one priority back in 2019, someone of his character and commitment to his players, families and organization is hard to find. We've got a lot of exciting new things coming down the road and we're excited to continue growing and improving our program and the players within it."