Angels Fire Scout for Spying
In the world of baseball, sometimes you really have to consider which teams are worth watching. The Los Angeles Angels recently parted ways with scout Justin Prinstein after he was caught filming the Colorado Rockies’ coaching staff during a game at Coors Field in June.
There’s something almost ironic about this situation. Prinstein, who humorously calls himself a “baseball spy” on social media, jeopardized his entire career to snoop on a team that’s not exactly at the top of their game.
This wasn’t about gathering intel on the Dodgers or the Yankees—teams that are frequently vying for the playoffs. No, this was the Rockies, a franchise that’s been struggling, sitting over 20 games behind in their division. It’s a bit mind-boggling, really. He fired his career for insights against a team that, let’s be honest, might have caused more harm to the Angels than good by just playing badly.
From what reports say, Prinstein was in his designated scouting area, casually recording Rockies coaches with his smartphone in plain sight. It’s almost laughable; he relied on his phone instead of any high-tech spying gear. Someone in the stadium spotted him and quickly alerted MLB, which led to an urgent call for the Angels.
Since the Houston Astros’ sign-stealing scandal, MLB has imposed strict rules against using personal electronics for scouting purposes. Former GM Perry Minassian took swift action and fired Prinstein immediately upon learning of the breach.
Afterward, Minassian made one of the most awkward calls of his life: he had to apologize to Rockies management for trying to lift insights from a team that has, well, very little to offer in terms of secrets. Fortunately for the Angels, MLB concluded that Prinstein acted alone, so the team avoided penalties like fines or lost draft picks.
Strangely enough, the information he tried to gather didn’t even lead to success. The Rockies still lost two of the three games in that series, making you wonder if all that risk was really worth it. In the end, the only secret that was revealed was how quickly one could get fired doing something so reckless.
