Mark Buehrle probably is best appreciated if you see him pitch a lot, which his dad does.

But Buehrle's dad didn't make the trip to see him pitch in Los Angeles on Tuesday night. He missed a great game, too, as his son won the game with an eight-inning, 95-pitch effort that took just 2:05. He also recorded the 1,00th strikeout of his career.

So why was John Buehrle absent?

From MLB.com: 

Blame inflated airline prices and Mark Sweeney for John Buehrle not being able to see his son record career strikeout No. 1,000 ...

With the cost of last-minute travel from the Midwest to California a little bit too prohibitive in this specific instance, Mark Buehrle was on his own with one out in the eighth inning and sitting just one strikeout away from this milestone. Buehrle needed just two strikeouts when the night started, and that second came when Sweeney went down swinging on a 1-2 offering.

There wasn't much celebration to follow, aside from Buehrle getting the baseball. In some ways, he was almost disappointed that No. 1,000 didn't come in his next start Sunday night at home against the Cubs.

"Kind of," said Buehrle with a smile over the letdown coming from the eighth-inning strikeout. "I know how bad my dad wanted to be here for it. I was trying to get one strikeout so I could do it at home, especially after seven innings with one, but I can't complain."

Jus a reminder: Buehrle signed a $56-million contract extension last season and you'd think that would allow Pops a little more freedom to move about the country ... probably even in first class.

But when it comes to regular folks who just happen to play baseball, Buerhle tops the list.