Buehrle has stars in his eyes

MINNEAPOLIS - In retrospect, Mark Buehrle wouldn't have minded staying home for the all-star break.

But the White Sox' starting pitcher and his wife Jamie boarded a private jet and flew to Los Angeles for Wednesday night's ESPY Awards. Buehrle was nominated for the best play of the year, which he made against the Cleveland Indians on Opening Day.

Buehrle wound up finishing behind Minnesota Vikings quarterback Brett Favre, who threw a last-second TD pass to Greg Lewis in Week 3 of the NFL season.

"I didn't want to win because I didn't want to talk in front of that many people, but it could be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to win something like that," Buehrle said. "In the long run I would have liked to get out there and have that trophy in my house, just to put it up. But at least I got nominated and got beat by Brett Favre."

Buehrle enjoyed some people watching when he was in Los Angeles.

"I get star-struck," Buehrle said. "I really didn't get to meet too many people but just seeing Danica Patrick, I didn't think she was that small but she's tiny, just sitting across the aisle from Apolo Ono, Evan Lysacek. Just guys from the Olympics, you root them on, going for USA and sitting there next to those guys and seeing them in person, you kind of get star-struck."

Star smashed: Matt Thornton gave up Brian McCann's 3-run double that lifted the National League past the American League in Tuesday's All-Star Game, but the Sox' relief pitcher didn't bring any negative thoughts into the second half of the season.

"I did what I always did, attack hitters with my fastball and go right after them," Thornton said. "(The Cubs') Marlon Byrd laid off some pitches I tried to get him out with, strike him out.

"McCann is an all-star for his fourth time. He's a great hitter. Fastball got over the plate more than I wanted it to be, and he put it in play and cleared the bases.

"It's disappointing I didn't get the job done, but at the same time the experience as a whole was great for me."

Reed back with Sox: The White Sox signed left-handed hitting outfielder Jeremy Reed to a minor-league contract and assigned him to Class AAA Charlotte.

The Sox drafted Reed in the second round in 2002 after he had a star-studded career at Long Beach State.

Reed opened some eyes the following year when he batted .409 in 66 games at Class AA Birmingham, but general manager Kenny Williams traded him to Seattle in 2004 in the Freddy Garcia deal.

Reed never panned out with the Mariners, Mets or Blue Jays, who released him earlier this season.