Don Heffner, baseball player, 1934-1944

Don Heffner

Born: 2/8/1911 in Rouzerville, PA, USA

Died: 8/1/1989 in Pasadena, CA, USA

MLB Debut: 1934-04-17 | Final Game: 1944-04-29

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 5'10" | Weight: 155 lbs

Full name: Donald Henry Heffner

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Biography

Don Heffner was born in 1911 and had a professional baseball career that spanned from 1934 to April 17, 1944. Primarily playing as a position player, Heffner became known for his versatility on the field during a time when the game was transitioning from the deadball era to a more dynamic style of play. Over the course of his career, he appeared in 743 games, compiling a total of 610 hits. His offensive contributions included 6 home runs and 248 RBIs, while he maintained a batting average of .241. Heffner also showcased his speed on the bases, finishing with 18 stolen bases. Heffner's playing style was characterized by his ability to adapt to the evolving game, contributing both defensively and offensively to his teams. Throughout his time in Major League Baseball, he played for several clubs, demonstrating a workmanlike approach that endeared him to fans and teammates alike. While not a star in the traditional sense, Heffner's consistent presence in the lineup and his contributions during the early years of professional baseball's modernization made him a noteworthy figure of his era. His career concluded in 1944, leaving behind a legacy as a reliable player during a transformative period in the sport.

Negro Leagues Career Statistics

Batting

PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB BA OBP SLG OPS
62.0 54.0 7.0 11.0 0 0 3.0 2.0 5.0 3.0 1.0 0.204 0.295 0.370 0.665

Pitching

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H R ER HR BB SO ERA
1.0 0 0 1.0 1.0 0 0 0.0 3.0 0 0 0 0 0 0.00

Negro Leagues Season-by-Season Batting

Season PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB BA OBP SLG OPS
1930 14.0 11.0 0 3.0 0 0 0 0 2.0 2.0 0 0.273 0.429 0.273 0.702
1931 18.0 16.0 1.0 3.0 0 0 0 2.0 2.0 0 0 0.188 0.278 0.188 0.466
1932 13.0 10.0 1.0 1.0 0 0 0 0 1.0 0 1.0 0.100 0.250 0.100 0.350
1933 13.0 13.0 5.0 4.0 0 0 3.0 0 0 0 0 0.308 0.308 1.000 1.308
1939 4.0 4.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1.0 0 .000 .000 .000 .000

Negro Leagues Season-by-Season Pitching

Season W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H R ER HR BB SO ERA
1930 1.0 0 0 1.0 1.0 0 0 0.0 3.0 0 0 0 0 0 0.00

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
743 2526 275 610 99 19 6 248 18 270 218 0.241 0.317 0.303 0.620 -5944.6

Career AVG .241 vs. league average .270 across their career seasons — 10.4% below league average.

Career OBP .317 vs. league average .336 across their career seasons — 5.8% below league average.

Career SLG .303 vs. league average .381 across their career seasons — 20.6% below league average.

Career OPS 0.620 vs. league average 0.718 across their career seasons — 13.6% below league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Year Team Lg G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG Lg AVG Lg OBP Lg SLG Lg OPS PIV
1934 NYY AL 72 241 29 63 8 3 0 25 1 25 18 0.261 .278 (-6%) .340 (-3%) .392 (-19%) .733 (-11%) -462.4
1935 NYY AL 10 36 3 11 3 1 0 8 0 4 1 0.306 — — — — 0.0
1936 NYY AL 19 48 7 11 2 1 0 6 0 6 5 0.229 — — — — -137.6
1937 NYY AL 60 201 23 50 6 5 0 21 1 19 19 0.249 .276 (-10%) .342 (-8%) .398 (-18%) .740 (-13%) -496.3
1938 SLA AL 141 473 47 116 23 3 2 69 1 65 53 0.245 .272 (-10%) .341 (avg) .392 (-19%) .734 (-10%) -808.2
1939 SLA AL 110 375 45 100 10 2 1 35 1 48 39 0.267 .274 (-3%) .342 (+2%) .393 (-21%) .735 (-10%) -581.1
1940 SLA AL 126 487 52 115 23 2 3 53 5 39 37 0.236 .267 (-12%) .335 (-12%) .387 (-20%) .722 (-16%) -1575.2
1941 SLA AL 110 399 48 93 14 2 0 17 5 38 27 0.233 .262 (-11%) .332 (-9%) .373 (-25%) .705 (-18%) -1278.9
1942 SLA AL 19 36 2 6 2 0 0 3 1 1 4 0.167 — — — — 0.0
1943 SLA AL 18 33 2 4 1 0 0 2 0 2 2 0.121 — — — — 0.0
1943 PHA AL 52 178 17 37 6 0 0 8 3 18 12 0.208 .255 (-19%) .324 (-13%) .346 (-30%) .671 (-22%) 0.0
1944 DET AL 6 19 0 4 1 0 0 1 0 5 1 0.211 — — — — 0.0

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
1B 7 0 29 4 0 4
2B 595 0 1416 1678 86 395
3B 11 0 14 28 1 2
OF 1 0 0 0 0 0
SS 89 0 159 256 24 38

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1934 NYA 2B 68 0 158 179 10 46
1935 NYA 2B 10 0 20 29 1 5
1936 NYA 2B 5 0 3 10 0 2
1936 NYA 3B 8 0 11 22 1 2
1936 NYA SS 3 0 5 6 1 3
1937 NYA 1B 1 0 1 0 0 0
1937 NYA 2B 38 0 107 94 4 28
1937 NYA 3B 3 0 3 6 0 0
1937 NYA OF 1 0 0 0 0 0
1937 NYA SS 13 0 16 32 2 2
1938 SLA 2B 141 0 365 363 22 103
1939 SLA 2B 32 0 84 97 8 21
1939 SLA SS 73 0 138 218 21 33
1940 SLA 2B 125 0 311 426 17 102
1941 SLA 2B 105 0 224 307 14 52
1942 SLA 1B 4 0 21 3 0 4
1942 SLA 2B 6 0 13 16 3 1
1943 SLA 1B 1 0 6 1 0 0
1943 SLA 2B 13 0 21 17 1 4
1943 PHA 1B 1 0 1 0 0 0
1943 PHA 2B 47 0 98 127 5 27
1944 DET 2B 5 0 12 13 1 4

Career Games by Position

Position Games
First Base 7
Second Base 596
Third Base 11
Shortstop 88
Right Field 1