Archie and the Mafia

Archie White the Hall of Fame baseball coach from West Georgia College in Carrollton, Georgia was a hell of a character outside of being a famous coach he loved his players and the opposing coaches. Archie didn’t necessarily get along all the time with either group but he respected them anyway.

One of Archie’s favorite competitors was Chase Riddle the baseball coach of the Troy University Trojans. As documented in Chase’ Riddle’s book by Bill Sanford, Archie and Chase were fierce competitors but loved and respected each other off the field.

Once before a game between the two, “ The Troy Mafia” (Chase’s private group of students, parents volunteer workers and a bunch of untitled misfits who made life miserable for opposing players and Coaches) was already up in arms and preparing  for the game that was about to start. Archie and Chase were having a pre- game discussion when Archie made the comment that “The mafia really did make a difference and he wished that he had a group similar to them at West Georgia.” Chase told Archie that he wouldn’t want to play without his “Mafia” and if he asked them to they would probably do a number on Archie and Archie agreed with Chase, even though he had often had his mother talked about by this group quiet often.

Archie White was a fiery coach and when things didn’t go his way he often appropriately tossed by the Ump. Such was the case this pretty spring day. As soon as “Coach White” was tossed from the game, instead of taking an early shower or leaving the ballpark he made his way up into the Troy stands and sat the rest of the afternoon among his favorite people… you guessed it… “THE TROY MAFIA!”