Mystery Surrounds Angels' Firing Of Longtime Scout

Jun 05, 2009 12:57 PM EST

The Angels abruptly fired their longtime director of international scouting this week.

"I was dumbfounded," Clay Daniel said Thursday.

Daniel joined the Angels nine years ago.

General Manager Tony Reagins had no comment on the dismissal. He would not say whether anyone had been selected to replace Daniel.

"It's business as usual," Reagins said. "We're operating as we would normally operate."

Daniel, who has worked in baseball for 26 years, said the Angels did not explain why they had terminated him.

"They said they wanted to make a change," Daniel said. "Whether they're going to downsize, I can't speak to that."

Fox Sports reported Thursday that Daniel had been fired because of "improper activities by some of the scouts he had hired."