Counting on Hernandez

Sometime tonight in Oakland, Mariners manager Mike Hargrove will almost certainly walk to the mound and replace Felix Hernandez.

Once again, Hargrove’s hook may grab the 20-year-old too soon.

That’s exactly the way the Mariners want it.

So far this season, they are intensely studying pitch counts to preserve Hernandez’s sometimes wondrous right arm beyond 2006. Thoughts of once-seemingly indestructible Chicago Cubs young pitching stars Kerry Wood and Mark Prior with their careers in jeopardy because of shoulder troubles have scared Seattle into strict adherence to a number.

In Hernandez’s case, 200.

That’s how many innings they want to keep him near this season. Hernandez has left his starts after 100 pitches, 102, 100, 98, 91 and 95. Then last week against Tampa Bay, he departed after 108 – even though Hernandez (2-4, 4.58 ERA) had allowed just five hits and one run while striking out nine, his best start of a worrisome early season.

“There are times when I am going to take him out of a game and people are going to think, ‘What’s wrong with this idiot?’ ” Hargrove said before the season began. “I will think that about myself sometimes.

“Well, we have to do this. Do we want to do it? We’d rather not. But it’s the smart thing to do.”

Not everyone agrees.

The 19,726 fans at Safeco Field last Tuesday night didn’t. Hernandez, who had been wild and inconsistent while slogging through April and his 20th birthday, struck out four of his last five batters that night over a season-high 7 2/3 innings. He held a 4-1 lead.

When Hargrove replaced Hernandez, the fans booed loudly. Then they gave Hernandez a standing ovation. It was the first time this season he had exhibited his 2005 rookie phenom form.

“The pitch-count thing can really be overblown,” said Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon, in his 27th year as a major- and minor-league coach, manager and scout.

Maddon was discussing young pitchers in general, not specifically Hernandez.

“They’re built in to think 100 pitches, six innings, ‘Oh, that’s good.’ And it’s not,” Maddon said of today’s young pitchers.

Maddon has his own Hernandez, Tampa Bay left-hander Scott Kazmir. Kazmir became the youngest pitcher to have five wins by May 10 since 1989 when he shut out the Mariners over seven innings of a 1-0 Devil Rays win the day after Hernandez’s gem.

“It all depends on how many difficult situations a guy goes through in a game,” Maddon said. “Obviously, 105 pitches after seven innings? See you later.

“I just think it’s something we’ve fabricated in baseball the last few years … and I don’t know where that came from.”

For Maddon, it’s not about watching the pitch count. It’s about watching the pitcher.

“If he stays within his delivery and it comes easily, then he’s fine,” Maddon said.

Recently, Hargrove has hinted that if the Mariners – 17-22 but only 3 1/2 games out of first place in a mediocre A.L. West – are in contention into September, they may loosen Hernandez’s pitch-count leash. That’s a problem the Mariners would love to have after consecutive 90-loss seasons.

For now, Hernandez appreciates the small rewards of this game within his games. Such as earning eight bonus pitches.

“Before, I had a pitch limit of 100 pitches,” he said through an interpreter after dominating the Devil Rays.

“Now, I’ll take 108.”