Angels GM Jerry Dipoto and manager Mike Scioscia have butted heads before, but this might be the last time, and Scioscia is the one left standing. Dipoto recently called a meeting with the coaching staff to discuss the team's reluctance to consider advanced stats and use scouting reports prepared by the front office. It's the classic Old School vs. New School conflict and things apparently got so contentious that Dipoto just up and left the team when it was done.
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Scioscia and his staff did not take too kindly to the GM meddling from the suites and things went south quick. This was not the only meeting the team had, however. Dipoto also called another one, this time including the team, to inform them that the front office would be distributing the scouting reports directly to the players and letting them choose whether to consult them or not. According to Ken Rosenthal, Albert Pujols turned the tables on Dipoto, saying the coaching staff was doing more with less than they had last year.The data from the front office is intended to provide guidance on how to position defenders in shifts and how to pitch hitters in specific counts and locations, among other uses, sources said.
Pujols vehemently denied that he said anything about the quality of the team.According to ESPN reports, after all of this, Dipoto gave Angels owner Arte Moreno an ultimatum—presumably a choice between himself and Scioscia—and it blew up in his face. Reports last night where Dipoto packed up his office and left. This morning, a source told Jerry Crasnick that "he's definitely out." It appears he may have resigned after the ultimatum backfired, but the Angels have not commented on the story other than to say everything is "status quo."Pujols challenged Dipoto during that second gathering, saying that the coaches are working as hard to prepare the players as they did last season, but that the roster is not as strong as it was a year ago.