August 1, 1972: The San Diego Padres sweep a doubleheader from the Atlanta Braves at Atlanta Stadium. (It was renamed Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium in 1975.) They win the opener, 9-0. Clay Kirby pitches a 7-hit shutout. They win the nightcap, 11-7. Over the 2 games, the Braves' Hank Aaron went 1-for-7.
But the real story is Padres 1st baseman Nate Colbert. In the 1st game, he went 4-for-5 with 2 home runs and 5 RBIs. In the 2nd game, he went 3-for-4 with 3 home runs and 8 RBIs. Total: 7 of 9 (for the Braves, resistance was futile), 5 home runs and 13 RBIs. Some players would call that a month. Aaron Judge might call it a week. On this day, Colbert could have called it an honest a day's work.
In the 1st game, the Padres also got a home run from Cito Gaston, who would later manage the Toronto Blue Jays to back-to-back World Series wins. In the 2nd game, the Braves got a home run from Darrell Evans.
Here's the kicker: Five home runs in a doubleheader had been done only once before, and Colbert was there to see it: On May 2, 1954, Colbert, then an 8-year-old boy, was at Sportsman's Park in St. Louis as Stan Musial did it. Musial had 11 RBIs that day, so Colbert topped it by 2.
Colbert would not, however, join Musial in the Baseball Hall of Fame. By 1974, a back injury had cost him his hitting stroke, and he played his last major league game in 1976, only 30, finishing with 173 career home runs. He became an ordained minister, working with at-risk youth, and has been elected to the Padres' team Hall of Fame. He is still alive at age 76. (UPDATE: He died on January 5, 2023.)
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August 1, 1972 was a Tuesday. These other games were played in Major League Baseball that day:
* The New York Yankees beat the Boston Red Sox, 10-4 at Fenway Park in Boston. Bobby Murcer went 3-for-5 with a home run and 4 RBIs, while Johnny Callison went 3-for-5 with 2 RBIs, in support of Mel Stottlemyre. Carl Yastrzemski went 0-for-4.
* A doubleheader was split at Shea Stadium -- and it had enough innings for 3 games. In the opener, The New York Mets beat the Philadelphia Phillies, 3-2. Cleon Jones singled Tommie Agee home with the winning run in the 18th inning. Jones had homered earlier in the game. Ray Sadecki was the winning pitcher.
The Phillies won the nightcap, 4-1. Steve Carlton was the Phils' starter, meaning, "It's Win Day." He outpitched Jerry Koosman. Jones had 4 hits over the 27 innings. Willie Mays struck out as a pinch-hitter in the 1st game, and went 1-for-4 in the 2nd.
* The Montreal Expos beat the Chicago Cubs, 3-2 at Jarry Park in Montreal. Tim Foli hit a sacrifice fly to drive in the winning run in the 10th.
* The Cleveland Indians beat the Baltimore Orioles, 2-0 at Cleveland Municipal Stadium. Gaylord Perry pitched a 2-hit shutout. Brooks Robinson went 0-for-2.
* The Milwaukee Brewers were leading the Detroit Tigers, 9-0 at Tiger Stadium in Detroit, when the game was called due to rain at the 7th inning stretch. Harmon Killebrew went 1-for-4. Rod Carew did not play. Al Kaline did not play.
* The St. Louis Cardinals beat the Pittsburgh Pirates, 7-4 at Busch Memorial Stadium in St. Louis. Lou Brock went 1-for-5 with a stolen bases, and Joe Torre went 1-for-4 with an RBI. Willie Stargell went 1-for-3 with a walk, and Roberto Clemente did not play.
* The Minnesota Twins beat the Texas Rangers, 3-0 at Arlington Stadium in the Dallas suburb of Arlington, Texas. Dick Woodson pitched a 3-hit shutout.
* The Cincinnati Reds beat the Houston Astros, 3-1 at the Astrodome in Houston. Joe Morgan hit a 2-run home run. Pete Rose went 1-for-2 with 2 walks. Johnny Bench went 1-for-4 with an RBI.
* The San Francisco Giants beat the Los Angeles Dodgers, 4-3 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. Frank Robinson, in his only season with the Dodgers, went 1-for-4 in this game.
* And the Oakland Athletics beat the Kansas City Royals, 4-0 at the Oakland Coliseum. Reggie Jackson went 2-for-3 with a home run, a walk and 2 RBIs.
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