K.J. won't be coming back to the Kernels

The parent Anaheim Angels announced Friday that Keith Johnson won't be returning to manage the Cedar Rapids Kernels this season after all. He has been re-assigned to skipper the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes of the high-Class A California League. That's a nice promotion for a good guy. I'm sure, being a resident of Utah who very much missed his family last season, this is welcomed news for K.J., who is taking over at Rancho for former Kernels hitting coach Eric Owens, who has been re-assigned to a roving instructor in the Angels system.

All this upheavel comes about because longtime field coordinator Bruce Hines recently left the Angels to become third-base coach for the Seattle Mariners.

The Angels say they are going to take their time in picking a Cedar Rapids replacement for Johnson. It'll be interesting if they choose someone already in the organization as a coach. Could Damon Mashore, last season's hitting coach, be the new manager? Mashore has managing experience in the Rookie leagues for the Diamondbacks.