The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-06-17
VETERAN KEYSTONER IS
 SUCCESSOR OF DUNN AS BOSS OF LOCAL TEAM
Stewart Is One Of Basebalps ? youngest Pilots, Fourth . Playing Manager In South 2 ern League ,.

John Franklin (Stuffy) Stewart for !. three years star performer on Bir- mingham Baron infields, was Saturday . named new manager of the club, sue ceeding Joe Dunn, who resigned the position last Sunday. This announce ment was given out by w. D. tQuack) , Smith, president of the Birmingham Baseball association.
 Stewart was placed in temporary v charge of the Barons following the ( resignation of Dunn the first of last week, and Stuffy stepped into the breach in such splendid fashion, and brought about such marked inn provement in the team that decision . to retain him as permanent manager was forced on Baronial officials.
 At conference of officials Satur- - day afternoon, we decided to appoint John Stewart manager of the, Bar ons," was the terse announcement of n PreXy Smith Saturday night. Then he added, We at first didn't intend to place managerial duties on the shoulders of one 50 young, but the de- cision. was forced on us by the ca- pablo manner in which Stuffy Stew art has handled the team during the . week just closed.
 Stewart Made Good.
 Tt was our knowledge all along q that Stewart was capable of manag- . ing, and under different circum- . stances we probably would have ap- pointed him pilot right off the bat, without any of that temporary stuff. However, we felt that, as Stewart is still comparatively young bali player it would be an injustice to e nm to add managerial duties to his other tasks.
 However, Stewart has handled the situation so well, and has proven to , US that he clr not only manage the team as we think it should be done, but that his playing is effected none in the least--unleSS it is for the good. Therefore, we now announce John Franklin tStuffy) Stewart as new manager of the Birmingham Barons."
 Announcement of Stuffy Stewards promotion to the managerial ranks will probably be received with pleas ure by his friends in Birmingham and the Gourmand has host of friends in the Magic City. won for him by his three years service as a star ! second baseman with the Barons.
 Stewart had been in temporary charge of the team during the past week, but Saturday marked his first real day as manager of the BaronS, and that he started off on the right foot is proven by the 20 victory the team scored over the Memphis Chicks.
 A Decided Change.
 During the one week he has been in charge. Stewart has brought about a decided improvement in the team The style of play has changed from the conventional to the sensational s ana the aegressiveness of Stuffy stewart himself is personified in the spirit of his mates on the diamond. The staid old game of baseball of 10 years ago is not q feature of the play of the flashy base running, dar- ing team Stuffy Stewart has piloted on the diamond during the past six days.
 In seven games during the past week the Barons have won five and lost two, which, as a whole, is about as good as the best the team has been able to do at any stage of the season. That's 6 record a pennant- winner could well be proud of. and he fans are nodding their heads and smiling in pleased manner, as they review the work of the rejuvenated Barons these days.
 Stewart is still a young ball play CT, and has several years service ahead of him in the. great pastime. Sutffy is yet in his twenties, and Is probably one of the youngest managers in the game today. He is certainly the youngest of the South ,rn league managerial staff. and is he fourth playing manager in the ,oop. Bert Niehoff plays at second ,or the Mobile Bears. besides man. aging, while Otto Miller is regular catcher and manager of the Atlanta Crackers. Larry Gilbert is playing manager of the Pelicans. while Les lie Nunnamaker plays with the Chat .anooga Lookouts. but Is listed as an assistant to Strang Nicklin, and not IS regular manager.
 Q Q O | Starred In College.
 Stuffy is college man, and star red on gridiron and diamond during his school days. He got his start in professional baseball in the Florida State league, and made good from the start.
 Stewart is playing his fourth year with the Barons. He has had three trials with major leaguers, but al ways class of competition has sent him back to Birmingham for another season.
 In 1920. when the Philadelphia Ma tionals trained at Redwood, Stew art came to Birmingham with the Phils, then managed by Gavvy Cra- vath. When Gavvy took his men north, he left Stewart with the Barons. and Stuffy played his first year for Mtlesworth during that season. In 1921 Stewart was back for another year with the Barons, and at the end of the season was sold to Pittsburg.
 The Pirates returned Stewart to Birmingham early in the 1922 sea son, and Stuffy had one of his best seasons with the BarLns. In mid season, Molesworth resigned, and Joe Dunn took over the reigns of man agership. At the end of the 1929 season. Stewart was drafted by Brooklyn. Stuffy made a strong bid for a regular berth with the Dodgers last spring, but, being unable to make the first string keystone posi- tion, was sent back to Birmingham