MLB Briefs

• Micah Owings, the D-Backs rookie pitcher that hit 2 HR & 6 RBI in his last start against the Braves, saw his 05 Topps Chrome Update Auto & Auto Ref #'d 500 gain sudden hobby interest immediately after his impressive performance. They were selling for around $16 & $27 TAC, respectively. That same Auto Ref then dropped down to around $10. Since he IS a pitcher (and his pitching is just so-so), not a hitter, I wonder how the market for his cards will perform in the near term, since he gained the hobby's attention with his hitting. I'm guessing that unless he can maintain consistent performances on the mound, his cards will probably not elevate to star-level values. Owings has his next start tonight against the Cubs, so we'll see how things go.
  
• Tampa Bay's Edwin Jackson has been on fire recently. He out dueled Dice-K on Wednesday to help his sorrowful D-Rays beat the AL-leading Red Sox 2-1, allowing just 1 run off of 5 hits in 6 innings pitched. Through his four August starts, he's 2-1 with a 1.67 ERA (only downside is his 5 BB/9IP). This is a huge improvement over his April-July performances, where he went 2-11 with a 6.56 ERA. There still aren't many of his key rookies listed for sale, so maybe people are holding them back to see if he continues his current success. Like I said before, there must be a reason why team management chose to keep him around, especially when they have a former collegiate star like Jeff Niemann, who's 11-5 & averaging 8.45 K's/9IP at Triple-A Durham, just waiting to get his call-up.