DOWN on the FARM

A team-by-team look at the Angels’ minor league affiliates:

Butte Copper Kings

Butte, Mont.

Location: Butte is a one-hour drive south of Helena.

Club established: 1978

Angel affiliation: Rookie League team in the Pioneer League.

Ownership: Principals include Mike Veeck, who also is chairman of the board of the St. Paul Saints (independent Northern League), comedian Bill Murray and Saints president Bill Fanning.

Manager: Bill Lachemann, brother of former major league managers Marcel and Renee Lachemann. Angels bullpen coach, 1995-96; member of the Angels’ organization since 1985; managed at single-A Quad City (1985-86), Palm Springs (1987-89) and Mesa (Ariz.), a rookie league affiliate (1990-94); played six years in Dodgers’ organization, reaching double-A level in 1959; All-City catcher at Los Angeles Dorsey High, where he was a teammate of Sparky Anderson.

Top current prospects: Steve Hagins, C/DH, Aliso Viejo; Renny Rojas, P, Maracaibo, Venezuela; Marcus Knight, OF, Pembroke Pines, Fla.

Most famous alumni: Cecil Fielder, who led the Pioneer League in home runs (20) in 1982, when Copper Kings were affiliated with the Kansas City Royals.

Home stadium: Alumni Coliseum, built in 1962 on the campus of Montana Tech; seats 1,500 but can be expanded to 3,600 with portable bleachers.

Butte baseball history: Copper Kings were a co-op team in their first season, but in 1979 became a Milwaukee Brewer affiliate. They won the Pioneer League for the only time in 1981. They were then affiliated with the Kansas City Royals (1982-83) and the Seattle Mariners (1984). After spending 1985 fielding a co-op team, Butte folded its operation for 1986. It resumed as a co-op team in 1987 and was a Texas Ranger affiliate from 1988-92. Again, it became a co-op team from 1993-95. Last year, it was affiliated with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, and this season, the Angels.

Butte is famous for: Copper mining. Area mines supplied half the world’s copper in their heyday--from the ‘40s through the ‘60s. Now, only two of nearly 100 mines are still active.

Source: Butte Copper Kings