There are probably a lot of baseball players who dream about having a day like Nate Colbert experienced on this date 50 years ago.
The San Diego Padres slugger is one of two players in the history of major league baseball to have hit five home runs in one day as he and St. Louis Cardinals legend Stan Musial both accomplished the feat in doubleheaders.
Colbert put together his effort with the San Diego Padres at Atlanta’s Fulton County Stadium against the Braves on August 1, 1972.
“I just can’t believe it,” Colbert was quoted in the next day’s Atlanta Constitution. “Five home runs and 13 RBIs. I can’t believe it yet.”
Believing it or not, it was true as the Padres swept the Braves 9-0 and 11-7. Colbert had four hits in the first contest and three more in the nightcap as he set a major league mark with 22 total bases in the twinbill, which still stands today. The 13 RBIs in the doubleheader is also still the standard although Mark Whiten tied the record against the Cincinnati Reds on September 7, 1993.
An interesting side note of the doubleheader was that the Padres and Braves were not originally scheduled to play twice on that Tuesday night in 1972. The first contest that evening was rescheduled from a rain out on May 30, so perhaps if Mother Nature wanted to witness a major league record, she got her wish.
In the opener, Colbert hit a three-run blast off Ron Schueler in the first inning and tagged Mike McQueen with a solo shot leading off the seventh.
The 26-year old walked in his first at bat in game two, but in the second he drilled a grand slam against Pat Jarvis, who was on in relief for starter Tom Kelly. Colbert connected against Jim Hardin with a two-run blast in the seventh before finishing the day by driving in two more runs with a homer in the ninth off Cecil Upshaw.
Witnessing Both Historic Moments
In 1977, Topps had special “Turn Back the Clock” cards and Colbert was featured on No. 433.
A native of St. Louis, Colbert’s story of the day also mentions that as an 8-year old he was attended the twinbill in Busch Stadium when Musial smashed his five long balls against the New York Giants on May 2, 1954.
However, there is much more to that part of the story. Writer Bob Wolf quoted Colbert in a story published in the Los Angeles Times on June 21, 1989.
“I grew up in St. Louis,” Colbert told Wolf. “I lived close to old Busch Stadium, and I sat in the bleachers with a glove, trying to catch batting practice home runs. Stan was my idol after that day (in 1954). Now when I see him, he says, ‘We’re the only ones to do it.’ When I was in high school, I helped out in the clubhouse, and sometimes they let me take batting practice. I hit the scoreboard once in a tryout camp.”
Later in Wolf’s story, we find out that Hank Aaron of the Braves was impressed with Colbert’s exploits that day after his fifth blast.
“He stopped me as I went out to first base,” Colbert said. “He said, ‘That’s the greatest thing I’ve ever seen.’ Coming from him, the greatest player I’ve ever seen, that really meant a lot.”
Musial’s Five Homers
Unlike Colbert’s home runs, Musial’s blasts didn’t help the Cardinals sweep the doubleheader with the Giants.
St. Louis won the opener 10-6 behind three homers from Musial as he knocked in six runs. Musial hit a pair off New York starter Johnny Antonelli before tagging his final shot off Jim Hearn.
New York bounced back in the second affair with eight runs in the fifth inning to post a 9-7 win over the Cardinals.
Musial hit a pair of homers off future fellow National Hall of Fame member Hoyt Wilhelm.
Colbert’s Career
After playing parts of the 1966 and 1968 seasons with the Houston Astros, Colbert was picked by the Padres prior to the 1969 season in the expansion.
Colbert played for the Padres until 1974 earning three all-star selections from 1971-73. He finished the 1972 season with 38 homers and 111 RBI.
Over his final two years in 1975-76, Colbert appeared with the Detroit Tigers, Montreal Expos and Oakland A’s. He ended his career with 173 homers and all but 10 of them were for the Padres.
In 1999, Colbert was inducted into the San Diego Padres with the inaugural class along with 1976 Cy Young Award winner Randy Jones and team owner Ray Kroc.