The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-07-30
BARONS HAVE BEEN GOING AT A TERRIFIC PACE WHILE
 OFF ON PRESENT ROAD TRIP
Stewart Clan Have Been
 Playing Great Ball Under New Manager And Have Won 26 Out Of AZ Games
nv staff Correspondent)

LITTLE ROCK, Ark, July 29.- Special. )-That ball club ought to be leading the league, instead of oCwn Tn the second division picking on us little guys. Those words, as spoken by well known sporting writer of Little Rock, express ad- mirably the position the Birmingham Barons of Stuffy Stewart are occupy ing in the Southern league these. as the 1923 pennant chase passes the halfway mark and enters on the final two months of the season.
 Barons and Travellers, in the midst of three double headers being played at Little Rock-were idle Sunday, idle in more ways than one, for Little Rock is the one place in Dixie which seems more of a blue town than Bir- mingham. Monday they resume their series, with another double-header at Kavanaugh park. then close out the series with the third consecutive twin bill Tuesday.
 And that scribe seems about right for the Barons played ball Saturday that would put the best of their league leading foes to shame. From the routine handling of ordinary fly balls and bounders, to the sensational enchanted stab of Mayors drive against the score board by Stump Clarke. the team played jam up championship ball. When the Bar ons are hitting, they are liable to wallop any club in the league, and Manager Stuffy has 'em hitting these days.
 Club Playing Consistently.
 Since Stuffy Stewart took charge of the club on June Il, with the resignation of ole Dunn as manager, the club has been forcing it's way up- ward with a consistency that would undoubtedly have won pennant for Birmingham had such a pace been set all season. The Barons have played 42 games under Stuffy, winning 26 and losing 16. That's playing ball at a .610 clipp, good enough for any pennant winner.
 That consistent run of the Barons under Stewart is not the only sur prising thing that's happened later, either. The club, notoriously weak on the road, has reformed completely, and in the Il games played on the present road trip, has won eight. The twin victory over Little Rock Saturday was the second time the Barons have won double-h header this season,
 Critics over the league are attrib- uting the spurt of the Barons to the daring brand of baseball they are playing. The very spirit of the pep pery young manager is personified in the play of the Magic City pas timers, who run bases, ta le chances and make away with the bacon eX- actly as Manager Stewart himself has done throughout his career IS a player and manager. It's that dar- ing play that has made the present road trip 8 success. In Nashville two games were dragged from out O. the fire by daring play, while in Chattanooga the Barons literally stole the home plate from out of An drews field. Flip Neun stole six bases in Chattanooga, while Manager Stewart has ten thefts credited to him for the two series already com pleted on this trip.
 Hitting In Pinch.
 The main thing that has accounted for the rise of the Barons is the fact that Stewart has finally got 'em hit ting in the pinches. Manager StuffY, Brausen, Clarke, Robertson, Moore, Goebel, Hartford, and in fact the whole crew has been piling up base hits galore while invading enemy parks.
 Rick Woodward and Quack Smith turned their ball club over to Stuffy Stewart, they did so with anxiety fearful that it would affect the play ing of their star second baseman. It has, to q marked degree, but fears are turned to joy, for Manager Stew art is now playing the best ball of lis career. and far ahead of any other keystoper in the league. Stuffy has stolen 22 bases in slightly over 60 games, is hitting well over 300, has made only 3 errors since taking over the club. and has smacked out 21 base hits during the II games on the present road trip. The real pity of it all is that all 15 men on the club cant be managers.
 The Barons wind up the Traveller series Tuesday, after two more dou- ble-headers; go to Memphis for four games; back to Chattanooga for four games, including a double header; then return home on August g, after one of the longest and most success ful road trips, If the present pace holds out, a Baronial team has ever undertaken.