Art Hefner

James Chester Arthur Hefner Jr. (August 2, 1913 – May 2, 1988) was an American professional baseball center fielder in the Negro leagues. He played with the New York Black Yankees in 1948,^[4] and the Philadelphia Stars in 1949.^[5]

Art Hefner
Center fielder
Born: (1913-08-02)August 2, 1913 Brevard, North Carolina
Died: May 2, 1988(1988-05-02) (aged 74) Brevard, North Carolina
Batted: Left[1][2] Threw: Right
Negro league baseball debut
April 25, 1948, for the New York Black Yankees
Last appearance
September 18, 1949, for the Philadelphia Stars[3]
Stats at Baseball Reference
Teams
New York Black Yankees (1948) Philadelphia Stars (1949)

Early life and career

Heffner was born in Transylvania County, North Carolina on August 2, 1913, the son of James Chester Arthur and Mary Hefner (né Davis).^[6] He made his Negro Major leagues debut on April 25, 1948 with the New York Black Yankees.^[7][8] In February 1949, following the disbanding of the Yankees (itself part of the larger Negro league contraction necessitated by the exodus of star players to the recently integrated Major Leagues), Heffner was initially drafted by the Birmingham Black Barons,^[9] but then acquired by Philadelphia prior to the start of the regular season.^[10]

Post-retirement

Following his baseball career, Hefner was employed by DuPont and served as a deacon in the Bethel "A" Baptist Church in Brevard.^[6]