Brian “Bubba” Harkins was fired by the Angels last March after providing illegal ball-doctoring substances to visiting pitchers. According to the longtime Angels staffer, Harkins claimed he was made a “public scapegoat” in baseball’s efforts to crack down on the use of foreign substances.
Harkins, 55, had spent decades with the Angels prior to his dismissal. At the time, he was the visiting clubhouse manager. The team dismissed him after learning through an MLB investigation that he was providing a blend of sticky substances to visiting pitchers to aid their grip of the baseball.
Back on August 28, Harkins filed a defamation complaint against the Angels and Major League Baseball in Orange County Superior Court.