Baseball cards always have stories.
Back in 1977, Topps had several cards that featured the history of the game.
Nate Colbert had played his final big league game at the end of the 1976 season, but he was included in the 1977 set on cards called Turn Back the Clock.
Colbert’s feat was just five years old, but it was quite an accomplishment filled with history.
It was 1972 when Colbert had the best day of his 10-year career with San Diego as he hit five homers and knocked in 13 runs during a doubleheader in Atlanta as the Padres swept the Braves 9-0 and 11-7 on August 1.
Colbert had seven hits in nine at bats, while adding a pair of singles to go with his power surge.
The five long balls tied a standard set by St. Louis legend Stan Musial in 1954. The 13 RBI record belonged to Colbert until Mark Whiten tied it in 1993, while playing for the Cardinals.
Game One
In the opener, Colbert got started early with a three-run blast off Ron Schueler in the top of the first. He added a RBI single in the third that sent Schueler to the showers.
Mike McQueen was the next victim as Colbert singled in the fourth, but the Padres failed to add to their 7-0 lead.
In the seventh, Colbert tagged McQueen with a solo shot. George Stone finally retired Colbert as he caught him looking at a third strike in the ninth.
Game Two
It might be difficult to imagine that Colbert could top a four-hit performance as he drove in five runs, but the day just got better in the second contest.
After a walk in the first inning from Braves starter Tom Kelley, Colbert did his thing in the second as he drilled a grand slam off Pat Jarvis as the Padres built a 7-0 advantage.
Colbert would later hit a pair of two-run homers off Jim Hardin in the seventh and Cecil Upshaw in the ninth to give him eight RBI in the second game.
The First Star
Originally signed by the Cardinals in 1964, the St. Louis native was selected by the Houston Astros in the Rule 5 draft after the 1965 season.
Colbert played in 39 games for the Houston Astros in 1966 and 1968 before getting picked in the expansion draft by the Padres.
From 1969 to 1973, Colbert averaged 30 homers per season and never hit under 20. His best seasons came in 1970 and 1972 as he finished with 38 homers. He had a career-high 111 RBI in 1972.
An all-star from 1971 to 1973, Colbert walked scored the game-winning run in the 1972 mid-summer classic. Cincinnati’s Joe Morgan singled in the bottom of the 10th off Baltimore’s Dave McNally as the National League won 4-3 in Atlanta.
Colbert would play his final season in San Diego in 1974. He finished with career with the Detroit Tigers (1975), Montreal Expos (1975-1976) and Oakland A’s (1976).
The outfielder had 173 homers with all but 10 in a Padres uniform. He was inducted into the Padres Hall of Fame in 1999.
Stan the Man
Perhaps the most interesting part of the 1977 Topps card is the story on the back about a young Colbert attending the Cardinals doubleheader when Musial hit his five homers.
In a 1972 article in the Milwaukee Journal describing Colbert’s day on August 2, he was quoted about his place in history.
“That’s something I didn’t think could be done in the major leagues,” he said. “I can’t believe it happened.”
It’s almost more unbelievable that he witnessed the first time that someone hit five homers in a twinbill.
“I was there when Stan hit those five in old Busch Stadium,” he was quoted in the Journal. “Stan was my first hero.”
Hard Hittin’
There would be another connection to St. Louis in the doubleheader record book.
Nicknamed “Hard Hittin'” Mark Whiten, the Cardinals slugger put his name in the annals at Cincinnati on September 7, 1993.
Cincinnati won the opener of the doubleheader 14-13 as Whitten went hitless, but did pick up a RBI.
Game two was a totally different story as the Cardinals won 15-2 with Whiten blasting four homers and driving in a dozen runs to tie Colbert’s mark of 13.