James Chester Arthur Hefner Jr. (August 2, 1913 - May 2, 1988) was an American professional baseball

center fielder A center fielder, abbreviated CF, is the outfielder in baseball who plays defense in center field – the baseball and softball fielding position between left field and right field. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the c ...

in the Negro leagues. He played with the

New York Black Yankees The New York Black Yankees were a professional Negro league baseball team based in New York City; Paterson, New Jersey; and Rochester, New York. Beginning as the independent Harlem Stars, the team was renamed the New York Black Yankees in 1932 and ...

in 1948, and the Philadelphia Stars in 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).Citizen-Times staff (May 4, 1988)
"Arthur Hefner, Former Pro Baseball Player"
''Asheville Citizen-Times''. p. 16. Retrieved October 22, 2021. He made his Negro Major leagues debut on April 25, 1948 with the

. 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 The Birmingham Black Barons were a Negro league baseball team that played from 1920 until 1960. They shared their home field of Rickwood Field in Birmingham, Alabama, with the white Birmingham Barons, usually drawing larger crowds and equal pres ...

,Courier staff (February 19, 1949)
"AL Teams Draft Stars of Clubs Calling It Quits"
''The Pittsburgh Courier''. but then acquired by Philadelphia prior to the start of the regular season.Courier-Journal staff (May 2, 1949)
"Buckeyes Nip Stars 2–1 in Opener as Rain Limits Game to 5 Innings"
''The Louisville Courier-Journal''. p. 11. Retrieved October 22, 2021.

Post-retirement

Following his baseball career, Hefner was employed by

DuPont DuPont de Nemours, Inc., commonly shortened to DuPont, is an American multinational chemical company first formed in 1802 by French-American chemist and industrialist Éleuthère Irénée du Pont de Nemours. The company played a major role in ...

and served as a deacon in the Bethel "A" Baptist Church in Brevard.

References

* Dispatch staff (August 25, 1945)
"Negro Squads Clash"
''The York Dispatch''. p. 8 * Telegraph staff (August 28, 1945)
"Nashville Boasts Strong Infield"
''Harrisburg Telegraph''. p. 11 * Telegraph staff (August 29, 1945)
"Baltimore Giants to Face Nashville on Island Tonight"
''Harrisburg Telegraph''. p. 13 * Journal staff (July 17, 1947)
"Insilcos Face Asheville, N.C., Blues, Negro Southern Loop Champions, Tonight; Invaders Rated One of Top Colored Teams in Country"
''The Meriden Journal''. p. 6 * Times staff (May 7, 1948)
"Grays Battle Black Yankees"
''Chester Times''. p. 20 * Lyle, George, Jr. (May 28, 1949)
"On the Limb"
''New Journal and Guide''. p. 12 * News staff (May 31, 1949)
"Davis Excels as Houston Conquers Stars, 5 to 4"
''The Wilmington Morning News''. p. 13 * News staff (July 11, 1949)
"Mays' Single Gives Black Barons Win"
''The Birmingham News''. p. 18 * Tribune staff (August 5, 1949)
"Philly Stars and American Giants Split Doublebill"
''Alabama Tribune''. p. 6 * C-T staff (September 18, 1952)
"Negro Recreational Officers Are Named"
''Asheville Citizen Times''. p. 12 * C-T staff (April 11, 1955)
"Asheville Blues Whip Spinners"
''Asheville Citizen Times''. p. 14 * C-T staff (May 22, 1957)
"Corporations Are Chartered"
''Asheville Citizen Times''. p. 9 * C-T staff (December 1, 1974)
"News About Western North Carolina"
''Asheville Citizen Times''. p. 11

External links

an
Baseball-Reference Black Baseball stats
an
Seamheads
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hefner, Art New York Black Yankees players Philadelphia Stars players 1913 births 1988 deaths Baseball outfielders Baseball players from North Carolina 20th-century African-American sportspeople Baptists from the United States Deacons

Early life and career

Post-retirement

References

Further reading

External links