Padres all-time HR leader Nate Colbert turns 70

Franchise icon Nate Colbert celebrates his seventieth birthday today. Colbert played just six seasons for the Padres - from their inception in 1969 through 1974 - but remains their all-time home run leader with 163, the lowest total of any of the 30 franchises' home run kings.

Colbert is pictured here on his 1970 and '71 Topps cards. The 1971 set is highly regarded among collectors for some reason, but I prefer the gray borders and overall layout of the 1970 cards. He was also pictured with the Padres in the 1969 and 1972 through '74 Topps sets; I have copies of those as well but chose these two because - honesty moment! - I already scanned them a couple years ago. Since Topps is up to the 1967 set design in their Heritage line this year, it will be 2019 and '20 that they revisit these templates with then-current players.

After being traded away from San Diego, Colbert played in just parts of two more seasons, coached in the minors for a few years in the late '80s, and became a minister. He has been having health problems of recent, but will hopefully be well enough to attend the opening of the Padres Hall of Fame this July. Colbert was an inaugural inductee in the team's hall of fame, which has until now existed in name alone with no physical representation.