[bigboydan]

Lakeland, FL (Sports Network) - Detroit Tigers relief pitcher Troy Percival may be forced to retire because of a right elbow injury he suffered last season.

The Detroit Free Press reported on Monday that Percival is considering retiring because of pain in his pitching elbow.

Percival pitched during a scrimmage with the Tigers on Sunday and when asked by the paper afterwards if he had thrown his last career pitch, Percival responded, "probably."

Prior to the 2005 season, Percival inked a two-year contract with Detroit, but pitched in only 26 games because of a partial tear of the right flexor pronator muscle mass in his elbow. He finished the season with a 1-3 record and a 5.76 earned run average with eight saves.

Percival had been one of the top closers in the game after spending nearly his entire career with the Angels, where he began his career in 1995 and with whom he won a World Series title in 2002. That season, Percival saved 40 games with a 1.92 ERA.

In 605 career appearances, the 11-year veteran tallied 324 saves to go along with a 30-41 record, a 3.10 ERA and 700 strikeouts.

[Illusion]

Sad news if true. he has always ben one of the games greatest stoppers.