all so familiar

Jim Pankovits is managing the Jackson Generals. Again. Sort of. Pankovits is running the Seattle Mariners’ Southern League club, the one in Jackson, Tenn., that used to be called the West Tenn Diamond Jaxx. They’re coming to Trustmark Park on Thursday to play the Mississippi Braves in a five-game series to launch the season. The TeePee isn’t too far from Smith-Wills Stadium, where, in 1998 and ’99, Pankovits managed the Jackson Generals. That is, the old Jackson Generals, the Houston Astros’ Texas League club which bolted Mississippi after the ’99 season. Pankovits stayed with the Astros through last season. It looks like he’ll have some talent to roll out in his first stint with Seattle. To wit: outfielder Johermyn Chavez (32 homers in A-ball in 2010), infielder Kyle Seager (Cal League batting champ with a .345 average), first baseman Rich Poythress (Seattle’s minor league player of the year after a .315, 31 homer, 130 RBI season in A-ball), infielder Johan Limonta (.302 for West Tenn) and pitcher Steven Hensley (an SL All-Star who went 7-11, 4.62 for the D-Jaxx).