The Los Angeles Angels have fired advance scout Justin Prinstein after he was observed filming the Colorado Rockies' coaching staff during their recent series at Coors Field. The incident, which occurred in violation of Major League Baseball's rules regarding the use of personal electronics for recording coaches and decoding signals, led to Prinstein's immediate termination.
Prinstein, who reportedly referred to himself as "The Baseball Spy" on social media, was situated in the designated scout section when he used his smartphone to record the Rockies' dugout. The act was noticed by stadium personnel who alerted MLB, which then informed the Angels organization. The league office has concluded that Prinstein acted alone, thus sparing the Angels any penalties such as fines or lost draft picks.
Angels General Manager Perry Minasian, who was reportedly fired in late June, took swift action to dismiss Prinstein. Following the incident, Minasian also contacted Rockies management to offer an apology.
MLB's strict policies on electronic use during games were reinforced following the Houston Astros sign-stealing scandal. Despite Prinstein's efforts, the Colorado Rockies went on to win two out of the three games played in the series against the Angels.