The Los Angeles Angels dismissed a scout earlier this season for allegedly recording Colorado Rockies coaches in the dugout during a game. Justin 'Boomer' Prinstein, hired by the Angels in December, was let go after Major League Baseball was notified of the incident.
Sources told The Athletic that Prinstein was observed using his phone to record Rockies coaches while seated in a designated scout section at Denver's Coors Field ahead of a June series between the two teams. While scouting teams often record games, using any technology to steal or decipher in-game hand signals is prohibited.
Then-Angels General Manager Perry Minasian reportedly fired Prinstein immediately upon learning of the alleged recording. Minasian also issued an apology to Rockies President of Baseball Operations Paul DePodesta and General Manager Josh Byrnes. Both the Angels and Rockies reportedly believe Prinstein acted independently and that his actions were not part of a larger sign-stealing operation. The Angels are not expected to face disciplinary action from MLB.
Prinstein, who has a background in baseball including a short-lived podcast titled 'The Baseball Spy,' has not returned requests for comment. MLB and Angels spokespeople declined to comment on the situation.
This incident evokes comparisons to significant sign-stealing scandals in professional sports. In 2007, the NFL's New England Patriots were fined and lost draft picks for recording the New York Jets' coaches. More recently, MLB suspended Houston Astros manager A. J. Hinch and General Manager Jeff Luhnow for their roles in a high-tech sign-stealing scheme that spanned the 2017 and 2018 seasons. Prinstein himself had previously commented on the Astros scandal, noting the distinction between legal sign-stealing and using technology to decode signals, stating that such actions were "more like spying."