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hitter in the minor leagues, hitting 49 regular-season home runs in 1968 for High Point-Thomasville, but was mostly relegated to a backup or platoon position during his Major League playing days. He was selected by the
412:
and averaged nearly 40 home runs a year. Solaita retired after the 1983 season. As of 2023, Solaita holds the
Fighters' franchise single season home run record, hitting 45 in his first season with the club, 1980.
618:
451:
He became the first Samoan MLB player in the United States. He played for the Kansas City Royals, Montreal Expos, New York
Yankees, California Angels, Toronto Blue Jays, and also played in
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611:
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In 1990, he was killed by a family member over a land dispute in Tafuna. He was married to
Fagaoalii Atuatasi, and together, they had five children.
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As of 2024, Solaita is still both the only Major League
Baseball player to have been born in American Samoa and the only one to pass away there.
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1185:
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After becoming a free agent following the 1979 season, Solaita opted for a four-year contract in the
Japanese League, where he was
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He was murdered in Tafuna, American Samoa on
February 10, 1990. He was shot in a dispute over a land transaction.
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on
December 3, 1973. In 1975, while playing for the Royals, he hit 16 home runs in 231 at-bats, second to only
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Puputoa: Host of Heroes - A record of the history makers in the First
Century of American Samoa, 1900-2000
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between 1968 and 1979. He also played four seasons in Japan for the
759:
381:
167:
626:
84:
627:
452:
372:
are
American-born major-leaguers of partial Samoan descent.
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October 20, 1983, for the Nippon-Ham
Fighters
139:
September 30, 1979, for the Toronto Blue Jays
118:
September 16, 1968, for the New York Yankees
556:. Suva, Fiji: Oceania Printers. Page 133. ISBN 9829036022.
126:
April 5, 1980, for the Nippon-Ham Fighters
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for a number of seasons. He was a charter member of the
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In 525 games over seven seasons, Solaita posted a .255
313:(January 15, 1947 – February 10, 1990) was an American
1216:
Baseball players of insular areas of the United States
1161:Major League Baseball players from American Samoa
1067:
1181:Nippon Professional Baseball designated hitters
375:
569:Career statistics and player information from
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523:Durso, Joseph. "4 Trades Made at Meetings,"
552: Sunia, FofĹŤ Iosefa Fiti (2001).
619:
605:
34:
1151:Major League Baseball designated hitters
510:"Benny Agbayani at the SABR BioProject"
1141:High Point-Thomasville Hi-Toms players
1068:
1086:Expatriate baseball players in Canada
631:Minor League Player of the Year Award
600:
540:"Tony Solaita at the SABR BioProject"
1091:Expatriate baseball players in Japan
1156:Major League Baseball first basemen
1121:Deaths by firearm in American Samoa
13:
436:. Defensively, he recorded a .993
14:
1237:
1186:People murdered in American Samoa
563:
1126:Fort Lauderdale Yankees players
457:Little League of American Samoa
16:American Samoan baseball player
1096:American Samoan murder victims
546:
532:
516:
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489:Baseball Players born in Samoa
477:
1:
470:
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401:in home run to at-bat ratio.
527:, Tuesday, December 4, 1973.
376:Professional baseball career
7:
1176:Nippon Ham Fighters players
1111:Charleston Charlies players
1101:Binghamton Triplets players
579:Baseball Reference (Minors)
529:Retrieved January 26, 2023.
10:
1242:
1206:West Haven Yankees players
1146:Kansas City Royals players
1136:Gulf Coast Yankees players
1131:Greensboro Yankees players
1116:Columbus White Sox players
1221:American Samoan sportsmen
1196:Toronto Blue Jays players
1106:California Angels players
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589:January 23, 2020, at the
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1171:New York Yankees players
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420:(336-for-1316) with 164
1191:Syracuse Chiefs players
380:Solaita was a prolific
1166:Montreal Expos players
1226:Murdered sportspeople
319:Major League Baseball
1201:Tucson Toros players
440:as a first baseman.
321:. He played for the
1211:People from Nuʻuuli
593:at The Deadball Era
485:"The Baseball Cube"
438:fielding percentage
410:Nippon-Ham Fighters
391:Charleston Charlies
345:from 1980 to 1983.
343:Nippon-Ham Fighters
286:Nippon-Ham Fighters
571:Baseball Reference
525:The New York Times
327:Kansas City Royals
238:Kansas City Royals
110:Professional debut
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406:designated hitter
335:Toronto Blue Jays
331:California Angels
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276:Toronto Blue Jays
252:California Angels
78:February 10, 1990
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323:New York Yankees
228:New York Yankees
131:Last appearance
87:, American Samoa
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62:January 15, 1947
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158:Batting average
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434:bases on balls
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354:Benny Agbayani
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45:First baseman
41:
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584:Tony Solaita
553:
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492:. Retrieved
488:
479:
466:
450:
442:
415:
403:
399:Dave Kingman
395:Rule 5 draft
379:
358:Chris Aguila
350:Mike Fetters
347:
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304:
303:
144:
136:
123:
115:
100:
94:
80:(1990-02-10)
75:
52:
43:
28:Tony Solaita
18:
1081:1990 deaths
1076:1947 births
370:Sean Manaea
1070:Categories
868:Alomar Jr.
860:Alomar Jr.
829:McReynolds
577:, or
573:, or
471:References
447:Background
58:1947-01-15
982:McPherson
784:Landreaux
575:Fangraphs
426:home runs
389:from the
200:Home runs
168:Home runs
813:Marshall
744:Reinbach
740:Paciorek
587:Archived
432:and 214
408:for the
382:home run
958:Beckett
926:Konerko
837:Knicely
792:Summers
708:Solaita
692:Epstein
684:Roberts
652:Koplitz
644:Cicotte
494:July 7,
393:in the
311:Solaita
95:Batted:
65:Nuʻuuli
1054:Buxton
1052:2013:
1044:2012:
1036:2011:
1028:2010:
1020:2009:
1012:2008:
1006:Pearce
1004:2007:
998:Gordon
996:2006:
988:2005:
980:2004:
972:2003:
966:Stokes
964:2002:
956:2001:
948:2000:
940:1999:
934:Chavez
932:1998:
924:1997:
916:1996:
908:1995:
900:1994:
892:1993:
886:Salmon
884:1992:
866:1989:
858:1988:
835:1984:
827:1983:
821:Kittle
819:1982:
811:1981:
803:1980:
790:1978:
782:1977:
774:1976:
766:1975:
758:1974:
752:Robson
750:1973:
742:&
738:1972:
730:1971:
722:1970:
716:Walton
714:1969:
706:1968:
700:Millán
698:1967:
690:1966:
682:1965:
674:1964:
666:1963:
660:Gonder
658:1962:
650:1961:
642:1960:
428:, 203
387:Royals
368:, and
308:"Tony"
101:Threw:
85:Tafuna
1046:Myers
1038:Moore
1030:Trout
1022:Posey
1014:Gamel
990:Young
942:Piatt
918:Jones
910:Damon
902:Jeter
894:Floyd
879:1991:
874:1990:
853:1987:
848:1986:
843:1985:
776:Freed
732:Grich
724:Freed
676:Tiant
668:Cowan
628:Topps
463:Death
453:Japan
424:, 50
305:Tolia
220:Teams
76:Died:
53:Born:
974:Reed
950:Hart
805:Bass
768:Cruz
760:Rice
496:2008
422:runs
337:and
294:1983
290:1980
280:1979
270:1979
260:1978
256:1976
246:1976
242:1974
232:1968
195:.268
162:.255
145:NPB:
137:MLB:
124:NPB:
116:MLB:
103:Left
97:Left
459:.
430:RBI
317:in
211:371
203:155
182:203
1072::
487:.
364:,
360:,
356:,
352:,
333:,
329:,
325:,
172:50
67:,
620:e
613:t
606:v
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292:–
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