1978 Topps #557 Tony Solaita
About Tony Solaita
Solaita's playing time shrank in 1978 to 60 games and 94 at-bats, and he hit .223 with one home run for the Angels. Pitcher Mike Flanagan joked about him as "Tony Obsolete-a." His Topps card, #557, pictures him with California.
Tony Solaita was a left-handed first baseman and designated hitter, the only major leaguer born in American Samoa. Born in Nuuuli, he grew up in Hawaii and California and signed with the Yankees out of Jefferson High School in Daly City. In 1968 he hit 51 home runs, two of them in the playoffs, for High Point-Thomasville, more than anyone in organized baseball, and was named Topps Minor League Player of the Year; the Yankees gave him one game that September. After years in the minors he was taken by Kansas City in the December 1973 Rule 5 draft and became a part-time power bat for the Royals, Angels, Expos and Blue Jays through 1979, finishing with 50 home runs in 525 games. He then played four seasons in Japan for the Nippon-Ham Fighters, where he hit 45 home runs in 1980, still the club's single-season record. Solaita was killed in Tafuna, American Samoa, on February 10, 1990, in a dispute over land.
Sources: Wikipedia · SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 220 | 58 | 132 | 23 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| SGC | 5 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Graded population — a scarcity guide, not a price. Data as of 2026-10-19. Half grades fold down for both graders (8.5→8); PSA qualified slabs (OC, ST, PD, MC and the like) are not counted.
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Related cards
Team card: #214 California Angels Team
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- #48 Don Baylor
- #71 Terry Humphrey
- #115 Gary Nolan
- #150 Bobby Bonds
- #178 Dave Chalk
- #206 1977 Strikeout Leaders
- #207 1977 ERA Leaders
- #239 Dyar Miller
- #268 Gil Flores
- #291 Gary Ross
- #313 Andy Etchebarren
- #339 Mario Guerrero
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1978 Topps #557 card?
It is card #557 of the 726-card 1978 Topps Baseball set, picturing Tony Solaita of the California Angels.
How many cards are in the 1978 Topps Baseball set?
726 cards, numbered 1 through 726 with none skipped and issued as a single series, and 728 collectible states: #23 Bump Wills comes with or without a black circle, and #374 Jose Morales with or without black stitching over the red laces, so the master set counts both states of each.
Sources: Trading Card Database, PSA CardFacts, BaseballCardPedia, Cardboard Connection, Baseball Almanac, Baseball-Reference, the SABR BioProject and the National Baseball Hall of Fame, PSA & SGC population reports. Card data compiled and maintained by T206Cards.com. Page last updated 2026-10-25.