Scioscia addressed the report by Fox Sports before the Angels faced the Yankees, largely insisting that vehement closed-doors discussions are being misconstrued as an unbridgeable disagreement between the longest-tenured manager in baseball and the Angels' new-school top executive. When asked if the Angels have a rift between management and the on-field staff, Pujols replied: I don't need to talk about that. Pujols contradicted Fox Sports' claim that the slugger told Dipoto that the Angels' roster wasn't as strong as last season's group. Scioscia acknowledged the Angels have changed the way they distribute information from scouts, with the statistical reports now going straight to the players instead of through the coaching staff. Dipoto was hired after the 2011 season, and he butted heads with Scioscia in 2012 when the Angels fired hitting coach Mickey Hatcher against Scioscia's wishes.