A habit of popping up a fly ball earned Percy Rising the nickname "Pop".

Pop Rising was born January 24, 1877, in Industry, PA.

Pop played professionally for the New London Whalers in the Connecticut State League from 1902 through 1906. On August 10, 1905, Pop played in his first Major League Baseball game, as a pinch hitter for the Boston Americans (nka the Boston Red Sox) against the Detroit Tigers. The Tigers had Eddie Cicotte (indicted in the 1919 "Black Sox" scandal), Ty Cobb, and Beaver County Sports Hall of Famer Chris Lindsay; the Americans had Major League Baseball Hall of Famers Jesse Burkett, Cy Young, and (as manager) Jimmy Collins.

On October 6, 1905, Pop played his last Major League game when the Americans defeated the New York Highlanders 3-1. Pop played third base going 0-4. Pop appeared in 11 games at third base and right field, collecting 32 plate appearances, with one single, one double, and one triple in 29 at-bats, for a .103 average with two runs and two RBIs. In the field, Pop handled 11 chances without an error, nine in the outfield and two at third base. At the end of the season, Pop was kept on the reserve list of the Boston Americans.

In 1906, manager Jimmy Collins took Pop to spring training in Macon, GA, but Pop was cut near the end of the exhibition season and returned to New London. On December 7, 1906, New London sold Pop's contract to the Springfield Ponies, another Connecticut State League club. Pop hit .321 for Springfield in 1907 and was the subject of controversy when he became involved in altercation with an umpire in the first inning of a July 17 game at Springfield and was fined $5 for misconduct.

Pop played for the Ponies for two years, helping the Ponies win the Connecticut State League championship in 1908. After the season ended, there was rumors of Pop signing with a team in Puyallup, ID. Pop's response was that it was better to have three square meals a day in Springfield than eating strawberries in Idaho. Pop played again for the Ponies in 1909.

Early in 1910, Pop was traded to the New Bedford Whalers and was named field captain of the team that ended up winning the New England League pennant that year. Pop's last season in baseball was 1912, in which he started playing for Lowell of the New England League and appeared in 22 games, batting .352.

Over 11 seasons in the minors, Pop appeared in 1,051 games.

Percival Sumner "Pop" Rising died January 28, 1938, at age 61, in Rochester, PA, and is buried nearby in the Oak Grove Cemetery in Industry, PA.