Seattle Sports: Now You're Caught Up

--Mariners ticket prices are on the rise, and you'll see progressive pricing. For example, single-game field box seats will cost $58 until March 28th. From March 29th on, they'll cost $60. On the day of the game, $65. Also, there are seven "premium" games (opening day, plus the three games each against Boston and New York) for which all tickets will cost $3 more. John Hickey of the P-I has all the details.

--Willingham on DC Kent Baer and TE/Special Teams coach Bob Simmons, both of whom he fired yesterday. "I consider Kent Baer and Bob Simmons excellent coaches and consummate professionals. Making change such as this is never easy, nor is it done without careful thought and consideration. I believe we are continuing to build this football program into a national contender and I truly appreciate the contribution Kent and Bob have made toward our progress both on and off the field." Here's the official release. Baer has worked under Willingham for 13 seasons. Firing him can't have been easy.

--The P-I's Jim Moore stops inches short of accusing Willingham of firing Baer to save his own hide, writing of Baer, "He's an undeserving fall guy, Paint Dry Ty's scapegoat for a 4-9 season. Just once I'd like to see a head coach who takes the sword and spares his assistants." Moore wrote a sympathetic and rather touching column about Baer in October.

--Molly Yanity of the P-I lists some dream replacements for Baer.

--Bob Condotta of the Times quotes an unnamed source who says "Kent saved Ty at Notre Dame. He was a smart coach then and he didn't grow dumb overnight." Condotta names current Husky LB coach Chris Tormey and Oregon State assistant Jay Locey as possible replacements.

--Mack Strong felt pain in his neck Friday, and doctors recommended he have two of his vertebrae surgically fused together to protect his spinal column. The procedure was a success, and Strong is expected to recover fully, says a team news release.

--Dan Raley of the P-I writes up the senior struggles of three of the four prized Husky basketball recruits who are now in their senior seasons in high school: Isaiah Thomas (originally of Tacoma) at South Kent Prep in Connecticut, Elston Turner of Missouri City, Texas, Tyrone Breshers at Price High in Los Angeles. They are marked men--Turner faces a box-and-one most games. Only Scott Suggs of Washington High in St. Louis, writes Raley, has increased his scoring average.

--Portland St., who the Huskies play tonight, at 7:30 at Hec Ed, have a 7-4 record and played Wazzu solid. They're doing it with 11 transfers, writes TNT's Don Ruiz.

--Steven Gray of Bainbridge High made his Gonzaga debut last night and scored 12 in the Zags win over Northern Colorado.

--When Lute Olson retires, Kevin O'Neill will replace him. O'Neill's the interim coach while Olson's on his indefinite leave.

--USC creamed Delaware St. 85-54 last night, shooting 68%. Here's the boxscore.

--Portland won their eighth straight last night, beating New Orleans. Brandon Roy, who's won the last two NBA Player of the Week awards, had 24 points and 8 assists.

--Darious Walker, a 6-5 guard for Decatur, has a mom on permanent disability at 35, a grandmother with MS, has been raised partially by his great-grandmother, lived out of a car for a couple of weeks, and had a cousin who was shot to death. He got 5th year of eligibility from the WIAA, and is making the most of it, writes the Times' Sandy Ringer.

--Tonight is Metro League basketball Tuesday. I'll be at Old Lincoln High, watching Garfield and frosh phenom Tony Wroten play Inglemoor and Nevada recruit Mark McLaughlin. The biggest game tonight is probably O'Dea at Seattle Prep, the teams are tied for first in the Metro Mountain Division.