About Troy Percival
Troy Eugene Percival (born August 9, 1969) is an American professional baseball coach and former pitcher. He is currently the manager of the Long Beach Coast of the Pioneer League. During a 14-year baseball career spanning from 1995 to 2009, he pitched for four Major League Baseball (MLB) teams, primarily with the California/Anaheim Angels. He was an integral part of that franchise's 2002 World Series championship team, and gained fame as a closer. == Amateur career == Percival started playing baseball at Moreno Valley Youth Federation (MVYF). Percival played on the Moreno Valley High School baseball team, before attending the University of California, Riverside, where he played college baseball for the Highlanders from 1987–1990. == Professional career == === California Angels / Anaheim Angels === Percival was then drafted by the California Angels in the 6th round, with the 175th overall selection, of the 1990 Major League Baseball draft as a catcher. He batted.203 in his only season as a catcher with the Boise Hawks and was converted to a pitcher when coaches noticed that his return throws to the mound were actually faster than the pitches he caught. He made his major league debut as a reliever in 1995, and was mostly used as a setup man for Lee Smith. He was coached by his father Richard Percival for all of his childhood years.
Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.