1979 Topps #78 Elias Sosa
About Elias Sosa
Sosa's 1978 in Oakland, where #78 places him, ran 8-2 with a 2.64 ERA and 14 saves. That August Dodgers outfielder Glenn Burke said of him, "He's sticking it to them now." After the season the maximum 13 clubs picked him in the re-entry draft, and in January 1979 he signed a five-year, $1.2 million contract with Montreal.
Elias Sosa was a Dominican right-handed reliever who pitched 601 games over 12 major-league seasons, 1972 through 1983, for eight clubs: the Giants, Cardinals, Braves, Dodgers, Athletics, Expos, Tigers and Padres. Three of those games were starts, and he finished 59-51 with 83 saves and a 3.32 ERA. Born in La Vega and raised in Bonao, he was signed by Giants scout Horacio Martinez in 1968 for a $2,000 bonus, and he modeled his high-kicking windup on Juan Marichal, whom Martinez had also scouted. Ted Simmons said he had a good fastball and an excellent slider, and Sosa allowed 64 home runs in 918 innings. His best season came with Montreal in 1979, when he posted a 1.96 ERA and 18 saves. He pitched in the 1977 National League Championship Series and World Series for the Dodgers and in the 1981 postseason for the Expos. In 1989 he pitched for the St. Petersburg Pelicans of the Senior Professional Baseball Association.
Sources: SABR BioProject · Baseball-Reference
Graded population (PSA & SGC)
| Grader | Total | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1-4 | Auth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PSA | 47 | 4 | 24 | 10 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| SGC | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 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: #328 Oakland A's / Jack McKeon
More Oakland Athletics cards:
- #29 Rick Langford
- #54 Dell Alston
- #163 Glenn Burke
- #191 Mike Norris
- #201 Mike Edwards
- #224 Dave Revering
- #261 Mario Guerrero
- #295 Mitchell Page
- #352 Steve Renko
- #378 Rob Picciolo
- #406 Joe Wallis
- #432 Dave Heaverlo
- #458 Jim Essian
- #487 Miguel Dilone
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1979 Topps #78 card?
It is card #78 of the 726-card 1979 Topps Baseball set, picturing Elias Sosa of the Oakland Athletics.
How many cards are in the 1979 Topps Baseball set?
726 cards, numbered 1 through 726 with none skipped and issued as a single series, tracked as 727 collectible states: #369 Bump Wills comes with a Rangers or a Blue Jays team banner, and the master set counts both.
Sources: Trading Card Database, PSA, 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.