Minor League History: Alabama – Tennessee League
The Alabama – Tennessee League was a class D league and lasted only one season in 1921. The league had three teams in Alabama (Tri City Triplets, Albany-Decatur Twins and the Russelville Miners) and one in Tennessee (the Columbia Mules). Class D was what would be rookie level today.
The only season was played in two halfs. The first half was won by the Albany-Decatur Twins with 32 wins and 22 losses. The Russelville Miners won the second half with 19 wins and 17 losses. Both teams played each other in the championship series that was won by Albany-Decatur with five games to one.
| First Half | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Team | Wins | Loses | Win% |
| Albany-Decatur Twins | 32 | 22 | .590 |
| Tri-Cities Triplets | 27 | 27 | .500 |
| Columbia Mules | 25 | 27 | .480 |
| Russellville Miners | 22 | 30 | .423 |
| Second Half | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Team | Wins | Loses | Win% |
| Russellville Miners | 19 | 17 | .527 |
| Albany-Decatur Twins | 18 | 17 | .514 |
| Columbia Mules | 17 | 19 | .472 |
| Tri-Cities Triplets | 17 | 19 | .472 |
Very like the Minnesota Twins, the Albany-Decatur represented two cities and called themselves the Twins. The team played in Albany but drew many fans from Decatur.
The name of the Columbia Mules came from the city’s nickname: the Mule capital of the world. The city holds a Mule Day celebration since 1840.
The Tri-City Triplets represented the cities of Muscle Shoals, Sheffield and Tuscumbia from Alabama.
The Russelville Miners’ name referred to the mining industry in the area. Coal, iron ore and limestone came out of the mines to be transported to the refineries in the city of Russelville.