[4] The Maryville-Alcoa Twins began competition in 1953 as members of the Class D Mountain States League.
[6] Maryville-Alcoa won their season opener against the Knoxville Smokies, 9–5, on April 25 before a home audience of around 1,000 people at Hunt Field.
[10] The team gained a Major League Baseball partner, as they became an affiliate of the Cincinnati Redlegs.
[10] On June 19, the Twins' owners surrendered the franchise to the league due to financial problems.
[13] The Morristown team withdrew from the league on July 1 due to a lack of good players and financial losses.