REVISITING AN OLD BLOG POST FROM JULY, 2014: NATE COLBERT

Thought it'd be fun today to revisit an old post from July 18th of 2014, one of my favorite "Highlights of the 1970's" cards I created, that of Nate Colbert and his phenomenal day in 1972 when he clubbed five homers and drove in 13 runs in a doubleheader:

Here's the original write-up from way back when:

"What a full day San Diego Padre Nate Colbert had back in 1972 huh!?

Two games, five home runs, 22 total bases and 13 runs batted in!

Yeah his feat that day get's talked about often enough, and Topps did in fact commemorate the accomplishment five years later in their 1977 sub-set, but let's take a look at my design for a 1973 card celebrating Colbert's career highlight.

The man was flat-out incredible that day, August 1st, as he helped the Padres sweep the double-header from the Atlanta Braves.

In the first game, Colbert went 4 for 5 with two homers and five R.B.I.'s, as well as three runs scored, leading his team to a 9-0 wind.

If that wasn't enough, all he did for an encore was go 3 for 4 in the second game, with three homers, EIGHT R.B.I.'s, as well as four runs scored, helping San Diego win 11-7.

That's a monster week, let alone a monster DAY!

That August afternoon explosion helped Colbert put up some really nice numbers by season's end: 87 runs scored, 38 homers and 111 runs batted in.

What is really incredible is that Colbert's five homers in a double-header tied the record set by Stan Musial on May 2nd, 1954, and one of the fans in attendance that day was none other than Nate Colbert, who was there with his father.

Isn't it something that eighteen years later that kid would tie that record he witnessed.

Baseball is always filled with awesome stories like this, connecting one generation to another like no other sport.

You just have to love it…

EXPANDED YEARLY LEADER CARDS: 1973 N.L. HOME RUNS

The next league leaders we tackle in my new "expanded league leader" card series is National League home run leaders for 1972:

 

We begin with the great Johnny Bench, who took home his second home run title in three years with his 40 jacks, leading to his second N.L. MVP Award.

He also drove in a league-leading 125 runs while helping the Cincinnati reds make their second trip to the World Series in three years. Not too shabby!

Coming in second place in the home run race was San Diego Padres slugger Nate Colbert, who hit 38 taters for the young Padre franchise, while also driving home 111 runs, getting him some MVP attention to the tune of an eighth place finish by season's end.

In third place, in what was easily an MVP year any other year a guy named Johnny Bench didn't win the award, was Chicago Cubs great Billy Williams, who hit 37 homers while leading the league in hitting at a .333 clip.

Once again the man took a second place finish in the league MVP race, as he did in 1970, to Johnny Bench, and I'm sure it was enough to make anyone crazy!

Nevertheless, Williams got the ultimate reward years later when he joined Bench in the Hall of Fame, so it all works out to a point!

There you have it, the top three home run hitters of 1972 on an expanded 1973 league leader card!

Next up, the American League's top-3 homer guys...

CAREER-CAPPER: 1977 NATE COLBERT

Up on the blog today we have a career-capping 1977 card for former San Diego Padres slugger Nate Colbert, who finished his Big League career with a short stint as an Oakland A's player at the tail-end of the 1976 season:

After starting the season with the Montreal Expos, Colbert found himself back out West, ending up appearing in two games for the A's, going 0-for5 at the plate with a walk and three strikeouts.

During his heyday in San Diego between 1969 and 1974, Colbert was one of the franchise's first stars, twice hitting 38 homers ( 1970 and 1972) while driving in as many as 111 runs in 1972.

Those efforts got him three straight All-Star nods between 1971 and 1973, and an eighth place finish in the National League MVP race in 1972.

Of course, that season also saw him have one of the most productive days any player has ever seen at the plate, when he hit five home runs and drove in 13 runs in a double-header against the Atlanta Braves.

I actually created a 1973 "Highlight" card for that feat, one of my first in that category, way back in July of 2014 right here on the blog:

http://whentoppshadballs.blogspot.com/2014/07/highlights-from-1970s-27-nate-colberts.html

Quite a day for a man who was ALSO in attendance back when the man whose five-home run record he tied, Stan Musial, set the record some 18 years earlier! He was at the game as a youngster with his father!

Just incredible!

 

"HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE 1970'S" #27: NATE COLBERT'S MONSTER DAY

What a full day San Diego Padre Nate Colbert had back in 1972 huh!?

Two games, five home runs, 22 total bases and 13 runs batted in!

Yeah his feat that day get's talked about often enough, and Topps did in fact commemorate the accomplishment five years later in their 1977 sub-set, but let's take a look at my design for a 1973 card celebrating Colbert's career highlight:

The man was flat-out incredible that day, August 1st, as he helped the Padres sweep the double-header from the Atlanta Braves.

In the first game, Colbert went 4 for 5 with two homers and five R.B.I.'s, as well as three runs scored, leading his team to a 9-0 wind.

If that wasn't enough, all he did for an encore was go 3 for 4 in the second game, with three homers, EIGHT R.B.I.'s, as well as four runs scored, helping San Diego win 11-7.

That's a monster week, let alone a monster DAY!

That August afternoon explosion helped Colbert put up some really nice numbers by season's end: 87 runs scored, 38 homers and 111 runs batted in.

What is really incredible is that Colbert's five homers in a double-header tied the record set by Stan Musial on May 2nd, 1954, and one of the fans in attendance that day was none other than Nate Colbert, who was there with his father.

Isn't it something that eighteen years later that kid would tie that record he witnessed.

Baseball is always filled with awesome stories like this, connecting one generation to another like no other sport.

You just have to love it…