MLB Briefs

• On 9/28 (the same day Boston clinched the AL East) it was announced that Clay Buchholz, the young Red Sox pitcher, would miss the rest of the season & post season due to shoulder fatigue. His 05 Bowman Chrome Draft RC dropped in TAC value from the $20-25 range back in early September down to the $9-11 range at the end of the season. This slide was the result of a loss of hype in subsequent starts after his no-no.
  
• Alfonso Soriano hit 6 lead-off home runs in September; the most ever in the majors (he had a total of 13 HR for the month). For the season, he hit .299 with 33 homers. We'll see if he can spark the Cubs in the post-season as well. His 99 Topps Traded Auto averaged around $100-105 in September, up from $97 in August. It's still a relatively low price for this card (it averaged $118 in July & $122 in June).
  
• Carlos Pena has won the 07 Comeback Player of the Year award, after hitting a career high (by far) 46 HR & 121 RBI for the D-Rays. His 99 Topps Trade Auto was selling in the $50-60 TAC range in early September, but suddenly fell to the $20-30 range mid month, even though he hit 7 HR in his last 13 games of the season. Maybe collectors see him as a one-season wonder, or they've turned their attention to playoff-bound players. I'm not really sure why his only rookie-year auto dropped so drastically, but for those that do have faith in his future prospects, now might be a good time to buy (or we might even see further price erosion during the off season).