American professional baseball player and coach Nathan Colbert Jr. was born on April 9, 1946, and passed away on January 5, 2023. From 1966 through 1976, he was a first baseman for Major League Baseball’s San Diego Padres expansion team, which was his most notable period of play.
Between 1969 and 1973, the three-time All-Star player averaged 30 home runs and 85 runs batted in (RBIs) per season while playing for the Padres, becoming the team’s first prominent player. Colbert continued to hold the Padres career home run record (163) through the 2022 year. He also stood in the team’s top 10 in a number of offensive statistics. He also had stints with the Oakland Athletics, Montreal Expos, Detroit Tigers, and Houston Astros. Colbert’s career was abruptly interrupted after only 10 seasons due to a back ailment.
Colbert spent several years after his playing career as a hitting instructor for the Padres during spring training, and then as a hitting coach and manager in the minor leagues. He also became an ordained minister who worked with at-risk youth. Colbert was among the first class of inductees into the San Diego Padres Hall of Fame in 1999.
Nate Colbert Health: What Health Condition Did Nate Colbert Have?
Colbert’s promising career was cut short by chronic back problems after only 1,004 games, and he retired following the 1976 season.
