Olerud Feels For Thomas

John Olerud made every play there was to be made at first base Friday night.

An awkward catch of Mark McLemore’s quick flip on Jose Valentin’s sacrifice bunt in the first inning. A sliding stop to take a hit away from Chris Singleton in the third. A diving stab to rob Singleton again in the fifth.

So he had empathy for Frank Thomas regarding the one play the Chicago White Sox first baseman couldn’t make in Seattle’s 2-1 victory to clinch the American League Division Series at Safeco Field.

Thomas - pulled in with the rest of the Sox infield - couldn’t get a glove on Carlos Guillen’s line bunt that scored Rickey Henderson in the bottom of the ninth inning, sending the Sox home for the 83rd year in a row without winning a post-season series.

“That was such a tough play,” Olerud said. “You’re just not expecting a bunt like that.

“You’re in, so on a slow roller you’ve got a chance to get the guy at home. And when he squares around to bunt, your first instinct is to charge - and he bunted it hard to Frank’s right. His foot slipped out from under him, is what it looked like to me. It’s a do-or-die play and with Frank DHing most of the year and not being out there a whole lot, he hasn’t had to make that play. In such a key situation, it’s tough.”

Wild things

Seattle is the third A.L. wild card team since the inception of the Division Series in 1995 to advance to the ALCS - the others being Baltimore in 1996 and Boston in 1999. No A.L. wild card has advanced to the World Series. In the National League, Florida won it all in 1997.