In a swift response to allegations of misconduct, the Los Angeles Angels have terminated the employment of a scout who was reportedly caught filming Colorado Rockies’ coaches during a game earlier this season.
Justin ‘Boomer’ Prinstein, who joined the Angels’ scouting team in December, was dismissed soon after Major League Baseball alerted the organization about the incident. The revelation was brought to light by The Athletic, citing reliable sources.
Despite not being a prominent figure in professional circles, Prinstein has an extensive history in baseball. Interestingly, he once hosted a podcast named ‘The Baseball Spy,’ a title that also serves as his online persona.
Both the Angels and Major League Baseball have remained tight-lipped, offering no comments on the issue when approached by The Daily Mail. Meanwhile, Prinstein has yet to break his silence, ignoring several inquiries from both The Athletic and The Daily Mail.
Prior to the June matchup between the Rockies and Angels in Anaheim, Prinstein was spotted in the designated scouts’ section at Denver’s Coors Field. While positioned there, Rockies personnel observed him using his phone to record their coaching staff, as reported by The Athletic.
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.
‘This is like cheating off the other kids (sic) test who is also failing that class,’ read one comment on X.
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.’