1979 Topps #18 Tony Solaita
About Tony Solaita
His 1979 card, #18, pictured Solaita with the Angels, but he spent the season elsewhere, hitting .271 in 65 games split between the Montreal Expos and the Toronto Blue Jays, where he again backed up John Mayberry. The Blue Jays made him a free agent after the season.
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 | 47 | 9 | 29 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| SGC | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 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.
Find this card
Search T206 Cards Shop 1979 Topps cards Live auctions Buy It Now on eBay Sold prices
As an eBay Partner Network affiliate, T206Cards.com may earn from qualifying purchases.
Related cards
Team card: #424 California Angels / Jim Fregosi
More California Angels cards:
- #6 1978 Strikeout Leaders
- #48 Merv Rettenmund
- #71 Brian Downing
- #115 Nolan Ryan
- #212 Carney Lansford
- #267 Joe Rudi
- #291 Tom Griffin
- #313 Dyar Miller
- #322 Danny Goodwin
- #339 Ron Jackson
- #368 Don Aase
- #402 Paul Hartzell
- #417 All-Time Record Holders: Strikeouts
- #453 Chris Knapp
Frequently asked questions
What is the 1979 Topps #18 card?
It is card #18 of the 726-card 1979 Topps Baseball set, picturing Tony Solaita of the California Angels.
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.