THE CHEAP SEATS with STEVE CAMERON: On Naylor, Kraken and title time for the Zags

I’ve been reading a book that makes me smile.

It’s called “A Walk in the Woods,” by Bill Bryson.

Over the past couple of nights, my hour or so with Bill (well off the beaten track) has reminded me of the sports notes columns we downright enjoy.

And you know what?

It’s time we’ve done some wandering together.

Ready to go?

Super.

The obvious place to start is admiring Josh Naylor and his lovely new five-year contract with the Mariners.

After the club came within five outs of reaching its first World Series, it felt like I was buried in emails begging the M’s to bring back Naylor as a free agent.

But.

It seemed as though just as many fans warned the whole Mariners world not to get excited, that now with actual cash on the line, Naylor’s enthusiasm for Seattle was likely to drift away in competition with the Dodgers, Mets, Yankees, and so on.

Ummm.

Not so. 

IT TURNS out that Josh is that one in a zillion who just wants to play baseball — real, true hardball — in a city his family enjoys and with teammates who love winning just as much as he does.

Consider this nugget from his media session on Tuesday.

“Obviously, I could have tested the open market, that’s what most of the free agents do. 

“For me, talking to my agent, talking to my family, we knew where we wanted to go and we got a deal done at a fair rate that we wanted. And as great as it is to get the most (money) you can, I am more than comfortable here.

“I love this place, I love this fan base, I love this city, I love my teammates, and I’m super thankful to be back. 

“We got a fair deal done, and I’m just grateful. I’m blessed. 

“I’m not very greedy in that sense.”

Feel free to go out and buy a No. 12 jersey, folks.

There will be a hell of a lot of them at the ballpark, believe me.

ITEM: Right, so Josh Naylor is hogging the notes today.

Apologies to everyone else.

This is turning out to be a pretty amazing week.

If you’re a hockey fan, the Kraken have put together a rugged, relentless team that gets up and down the ice in a hurry.

Heading into Detroit on Tuesday night for the start of a four-game road trip, the Kraken got very fortunate while juggling goalies.

Top netminder Joey Daccord has come off the injured list this week, and the Kraken got a little fortunate.

Matt Murray, the third man on this goalie totem pole, had played well, but then got hurt in the first period of Saturday’s win over San Jose.

Philipp Grubauer stepped in to claim the victory, but coach Lane Lambert made it clear he was happy to have Daccord back between the pipes.

Daccord had started 11 of Seattle’s first 13 games prior to Tuesday, registering a sharp 2.83 GAA (goals against) and a .900 save percentage.

“He’s our No. 1 goaltender. He certainly helps us on our breakouts with his puck play,” Lambert said on Tuesday morning.

“We’re happy to have him back, that’s for sure. Looking forward to seeing him get back in the net during this trip.”

The Kraken arrived in Detroit with a 9-4-5 overall record, just two tiny points out of first place in the NHL’s Pacific Division — and the best start in the team’s five seasons.

The Kraken are off to this start despite several key injuries — left wing and top scorer Jared McCann, center Frederick Gaudreau, defenseman Ryker Evans, and forward Kaapo Kakko.

That’s the heart of a team, especially putting Daccord back in net.

ITEM: Look, there’s a limb!

It’s the kind that tempts you to take a chance, to try gambling when most other (sane) characters would have nothing to do with it.

Yep, I’m taking a shot.

If it turns out I’m right, please call your favorite podcasters and remind them of my courage and foresight.

If I’m wrong, well, I’ll be in Fiji — surviving in a little shack made of leaves. 

Ready to come with me on this gamble?

OK, here’s the pronouncement: By the time Gonzaga plays its first game in the NCAA tournament, freshman Mario Saint-Supery will be recognized as one of the best two-way guards in college hoops.

The 6-3 Spanish point wizard played the Zags’ first three or four games cautiously, needing to blend with teammates he’d missed during a busy summer with international commitments.

With each outing now, however, Mario is looking more and more like a professional — which he’s been in Europe.

He is SO smooth and SO savvy.

Gonzaga isn’t a team that features any one shooter, but trust me when I say that Saint-Supery will combine a natural scorer’s touch and feel along with a gorgeous stroke.

Besides all that, he’ll learn where every pass and every rebound will bounce.

Now that I’ve gone this far, I should say that Mario and his partner Braeden Smith (along with a cast of wonderful athletes), will be ready by March.

I think they’ll win it all.

It’s time.

Email: [email protected]

Steve Cameron’s “Cheap Seats” columns appear in The Press three times each week, normally Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday unless, you know, stuff happens.

Steve suggests you take his opinions in the spirit of a Jimmy Buffett song: “Breathe In, Breathe Out, Move On.”