Angels Face Life Minus Troy

They read about the two-year, $12-million contract Troy Percival signed with Detroit, saw television clips of the former Angel closer pulling a Tiger cap over his head at a November news conference, and bid farewell to their comrade in arms in phone calls over the winter.

But for many Angels, the reality of Percival’s departure won’t really begin to sink in until this morning, when they walk into the Tempe Diablo Stadium clubhouse for their first workout and, for the first time in 11 years, won’t be greeted by the sight of Percival at his locker, a cup of coffee in one hand, a newspaper in the other.

“It will be a little odd for everyone who’s played with him,” reliever Brendan Donnelly said. “He’s usually the first person you see because I think he sleeps in that clubhouse. It will be another sign that things are changing, that we’re moving forward with young talent.”

Young talent -- in the form of 23-year-old relief whiz Francisco Rodriguez -- is why Percival is no longer an Angel. Though he was still effective in 2004, going 2-3 with a 2.90 earned-run average and 33 saves, Percival is 35 and showing the signs of wear and tear you’d expect of a hard-throwing closer with a violent delivery and 10 years in the big leagues.

In Rodriguez, the Angels have a much cheaper but equally attractive option, an ultra-competitive, ultra-confident right-hander with a 95-mph fastball, a wicked slider, and a ferocity that has convinced Angel management he will make a seamless transition from setup man to closer.

In Donnelly and durable right-hander Scot Shields, the Angels have two proven setup men. In newcomer Esteban Yan, they have a veteran power pitcher who has handled bullpen roles from middle relief to closer. And in Kevin Gregg they have a long reliever who had considerable success in the first half of 2004.

“Our goal is to remain the best bullpen in the American League,” Donnelly said.

But you just don’t lose a closer who had 316 saves -- 12th on baseball’s all-time list -- a veteran who saved seven playoff games during the Angels’ 2002 World Series run, a respected clubhouse leader who was a mentor to so many young relievers, and not feel a void.

“When you have a closer of that magnitude, who has done it for years, the other guys lose the security blanket where he was going to take a lot of the heat,” pitching coach Bud Black said. “He was always a stand-up guy, he took a lot of responsibility, and that’s going to be missed.”

The toughest part for Shields will be “going down to the bullpen before the season opener and not having him there,” he said. “We’ve been bulldogs the last few years, and that mentality came from him. He’s going to be missed.”

Shields, who went 8-2 with a 3.33 ERA in 2004, spent countless hours watching video with Percival, leaning on the closer’s experience to develop game plans.

“He’d point out something hitters were doing,” Shields said. “He knew my stuff, the hitter’s strength, and how to attack a weakness. I’m going to miss that.”

Gregg hadn’t spent a full season in the big leagues until 2004, when he made the transition from starter to reliever. He said Percival was a soothing influence.

“He was so experienced and laid-back, and he conveyed that to us,” Gregg said. “He always said, ‘Be ready, this is the kind of situation you could be used in,’ and then the phone would ring for me. He wanted to teach, and he’d give advice on setting up hitters, but he never forced it down your throat.”

Percival’s departure and Rodriguez’s promotion will change the dynamics of the bullpen -- the Angels will rely on Donnelly, Shields and Yan to pitch many of the stressful seventh and eighth innings, and Rodriguez, who got them out of so many seventh- and eighth-inning jams in 2004, usually will pitch in the ninth.

But Rodriguez’s ability to throw multiple innings -- he went 4-1 with a 1.82 ERA and 12 saves last season, striking out 123 in 84 innings over 69 appearances -- will allow Manager Mike Scioscia to expand the traditional closing role.

“Frankie had great results going one-plus innings last year -- we’ll have the ability to move that to the eighth and ninth innings at times,” Scioscia said. “But two-inning saves ... you have to pick your spots. It can really help you to extend your closer for some saves, but you have to monitor them closely.”

Scioscia and Black probably will have to monitor their relievers a little more closely this season now that Percival, the bullpen watchdog, is gone.

“There comes a time when you have to spread your wings and do it on your own, and we’re at that point now,” Black said of the bullpen.

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Rodriguez was having visa problems in his native Venezuela on Wednesday and was unable to travel to the U.S. General Manager Bill Stoneman expects the reliever to secure his visa today.

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The Pen by Numbers

A look at last year’s performances by members of the 2005 Angel bullpen:

*--* Player AVG OOBA BB/9 K/9 SV SVO HLD Francisco Rodriguez 172 256 3.54 13.18 12 19 27 Scot Shields 238 310 2.42 9.31 4 7 17 Esteban Yan 274 341 3.31 7.14 7 17 11 Brendan Donnelly 224 294 3.21 12.00 0 0 5 Kevin Gregg 255 314 2.92 5.11 1 2 3

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Abbreviations: AVG -- Opponent batting average; OOBA -- Opponent on-base average; BB/9 -- Walks per nine innings; K/9 -- Strikeouts per nine innings; SV -- Saves; SVO -- Save Opportunities; HLD -- Holds