Two years ago, Rick Porcello tossed 71 innings, in addition to taking English and trigonometry at New Jersey’s Seton Hall High.
        Last season, his first in professional baseball, Porcello pitched 125 innings at Class A Lakeland.
        So far this year, at the age of 20, he has thrown 78 2/3 innings in the heart of the Tigers’ starting rotation and in the heat of the gathering pennant race.
        But who’s counting? Jim Leyland is.
        Very carefully.
        Since the advent of MRIs and multi-million dollar contracts, teams and managers and coaches have become increasing aware of things like pitch counts and total innings.
        Leyland doesn’t have a particular number in mind as far as how many innings he will allow  young Porcello to pitch this year.
        “I don’t have anything etched in stone,” Leyland said. “I’m just going to play it by ear.
        “But this is the major leagues,” the manager added. “You’re supposed to be able to pitch.”
        Having said that, Leyland has yet to allow Porcello, who is 8-4, to throw as many as 100 pitches in any of his 14 big league starts.
        That is by design.
        Leyland has seen too many promising young pitchers burned out early by managers who got greedy and asked too much of the kids, too soon.
        Although Leyland won’t say so publicly, Mark Fidrych in 1976 is a classic example that comes immediately to mind.
        The Tigers’ manager is not going to let that happen to Porcello. Not on his watch. Not if he can help it. Not when the Tigers are counting on Porcello to be a stalwart on the pitching staff for years to come. “This guy is a gem,” Leyland said.
        “One thing Porcello has going for him is  the fact that he has a very clean delivery,” Leyland pointed out. “He’s not a ‘max-effort’ guy.”
        In other words, although Porcello throws hard, he throws free and easy and doesn’t over-exert himself.