The Los Angeles Angels fired a scout earlier this season for allegedly recording Colorado Rockies coaches in the dugout during a game.
Justin ‘Boomer’ Prinstein was hired by the Angels in December but let go shortly after the team was notified about the incident by Major League Baseball earlier this season, sources told The Athletic.
Although Prinstein is not well known around the league, he has worked in baseball for years, and even had a short-lived podcast titled ‘The Baseball Spy,’ which doubled as his social media handle.
Angels and MLB spokespeople declined to comment on the situation when contacted by The Daily Mail. Meanwhile, Prinstein has not returned multiple requests for comment from The Athletic and The Daily Mail.
Ahead of June’s Rockies-Angels series in Anaheim, Prinstein was seated in a section at Denver’s Coors Field that is designated for scouts, according to The Athletic. While there, he was observed by members of the Rockies organization using his phone to record Colorado coaches in the dugout.
While it is common for scouts to record during games, using any technology to steal or decode in-game hand signals is strictly prohibited.
Justin ‘Boomer’ Prinstein is pictured in a YouTube video from one of his endeavors in baseball
Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer signals to the bullpen before a recent game. He and his staff were allegedly recorded in the dugout by an Angels scout earlier this season
Then-Angels GM Perry Minasian immediately fired Prinstein after learning about the incident, according to The Athletic. Minasian also reportedly apologized to Rockies president of baseball operations Paul DePodesta and general manager Josh Byrnes.
Both teams reportedly believe Prinstein was working on his own initiative and his actions were not part of any larger sign-stealing scheme. The Angels are not expected to face any punishment, according to The Athletic.
Minasian was fired later this season. Currently the Angels (40-61) and Rockies (40-62) have the worst records in the American League and National League, respectively.
MLB scouts interviewed by The Athletic were confused by the situation because live TV broadcasts already offer extensive footage of coaches’ hand signals.
‘If a guy goes to his glove a little bit more when he’s about to throw a cutter, we can see that,’ an American League scout told The Athletic. ‘So, unless you’re trying to cheat, there’s no good reason to have your phone out videoing. This isn’t 2014. Every team, even the Angels, has the technology to upload and analyze the broadcast.’
Prinstein has had various jobs in baseball and spent the past two seasons with Korean Baseball Organization teams, according to his LinkedIn profile. He last worked for an MLB team in 2023, when he was an international scout with the Cincinnati Reds.
Prinstein set his X account to ‘private’ after news of his firing was reported by The Athletic.
Belichick and the Patriots were accused of stealing Jets signals during a 2007 game
AJ Hinch was suspended by MLB for a year after the Astros were revealed to be stealing signs
The incident has obvious similarities with sign-stealing scandals in baseball and other sports.
Most famously, the NFL’s New England Patriots were caught recording New York Jets coaches during a September game in 2007, leading to a $500,000 fine for head coach Bill Belichick and the loss of a first-round draft pick.
In 2017 and 2018, MLB’s Houston Astros used their own high-tech sign-stealing scheme while winning two pennants and a World Series title. That scheme was revealed in November of 2019 and MLB suspended Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow and manager A. J. Hinch for the 2020 season.
In fact, Prinstein addressed that scandal on his own podcast, as first reported by The Athletic.
At one point, Prinstein said there is a ‘huge difference’ between legal sign stealing and using technology to decode signals.
‘It seems there needs to be a line drawn,’ he said. ‘And there is. There’s [an MLB] memo that went out. There’s a rule that says you can’t use technology. To do this, it’s more like spying.’
