Nate Colbert Jr. was a professional baseball player and coach from the United States. Nate Colbert passed away on January 5, 2023. He was 76 years old at the time.
Nate Colbert, who was born in St. Louis, Missouri, was signed as an amateur free agent by his hometown St. Louis Cardinals in 1964.
Colbert played for the Houston Astros in 1966 and 1968 before being drafted in the 1968 expansion draft by the San Diego Padres.
Nate Colbert led the Padres with 24 home runs and drove in 66 runs while batting.255 in 1969, the Padres’ inaugural season and his first full season in the big leagues.
The three-time All-Star averaged 30 home runs and 85 RBIs for the Padres for five consecutive seasons from 1969 to 1973, becoming the franchise’s first star player.
Through the 2022 season, Colbert still held the Padres’ career home run record (163) and ranked in the top ten in a number of offensive categories.
He also spent time with the Houston Astros, Detroit Tigers, Montreal Expos, and Oakland A’s. Colbert’s career was cut short after only ten seasons due to a back injury.
Colbert spent several years after his playing career as a hitting instructor for the Padres during spring training, and later as a hitting coach and manager in the minor leagues.