Nate Colbert was the expansion San Diego Padres first star and face of the franchise. In his six seasons (1969-1974) with the Padres he averaged nearly 30 Home Runs per season and had a 127 OPS+. Colbert is still the Padres career home run leader (163) and ranks among the top 10 in numerous offensive categories still for the club. The three-time All-Star for the Padres passed away at 76 on January 5, 2023. Despite being an inaugural inductee into the Padres Hall of Fame in 1999 (alongside Ray Kroc and Randy Jones), the Padres never retired Colbert's jersey number (#17). The Padres have an opportunity to honor Colbert's legacy and impact on the franchise by retiring his #17 this upcoming season. No one on the Padres is currently wearing #17 and no one should again.