Ontario Blue Jays announce organizational restructuring
The Ontario Blue Jays have announced some changes to their organization. File photo.
August 17, 2020
Ontario Blue Jays News Release
After much thought and deliberation, the Ontario Blue Jays will be taking a step forward and will no longer be fielding multiple teams at each age group.
Effective immediately, we will move forward with our vision to restructure the Ontario Blue Jays to ensure we are building a solid foundation on the appropriate principals that we believe in. We will be going with one team at each age group plus one additional team to ensure the quality and value of our program is priority number one.
Comment from OBJ General Manager - Joe Ellison:
"This was a very big decision that we've discussed over the past few months. This vision is something Corey and I discussed alongside our coaching staff since the day Corey was hired. There is a need for change - the previous direction of this organization was not something we believed in as a group and that is what has driven this change. I played for this program and I believe we've left the path that I chose as a player and we will work tirelessly to re-assert ourselves onto that path, headed in a direction we can be proud of.
We are incredibly grateful to the Wilkinson Family who have been unwavering in their commitment to the Ontario Blue Jays Players, Families and Staff during the pandemic and in this decision moving forward. We will push forward in this new direction to continue to strive to offer the best program in Canada."
Comment from Director of Player Development & Personnel - Corey Eckstein:
"Although this might seem like a drastic move, I believe it is the right one. The landscape of amateur baseball has gotten out of hand with the amount of teams popping up everywhere. I believe it is in the best interest of OBJ to lessen the amount of teams we have which will ultimately create a much more competitive environment for our players. My responsibility as Director of Player Development is to ensure our players are developing both on and off the field with like minded players and I feel this is the appropriate step in the right direction."
Comment from Collegiate Program Head Coach & Pitching Coordinator - Mike Steed:
"Although this was an extremely difficult decision for the organization, I completely agree with the direction we will be moving forward with. I have seen the change first hand in the baseball community at the High Performance/Elite level in Ontario to where players, ours included, have become entitled. I truly feel that like minded and talented players drive each other to be better, both physically and mentally. I believe the OBJ organization’s approach will greatly prepare our players even more for the next level whether that be college or pro in a sense that 'everything is earned and nothing is taken for granted.'"