Bobblehead day, multihomer game showcases Murakami's impact on White Sox

CHICAGO – Munetaka Murakami has changed the White Sox franchise, a sentiment reiterated since April.

Look no further than the team’s 2 1/2-game lead in the American League Central with 58 games remaining following Sunday’s 12-3 victory over the Astros at Rate Field for an example of his immense influence. He altered the culture from the moment he arrived, putting talk of rebuilds in the rearview mirror, and his second multihomer game reinforced that point.

The first baseman’s impact stayed strong even during a 35-game absence due to a Grade 2 right hamstring strain. And it’s growing deeper by the day.

Let’s use an extended look at Sunday’s action to see the best of Murakami.

On-field results

Well, we have to start here, the crux of why the White Sox spent $34 million over two years to bring the left-handed slugger from Japan to the South Side. His home run in the first inning off Ronel Blanco ended a streak of 13 games and 42 at-bats without going deep, and the two-run shot covering 385 feet to left also snapped a 10-game run without an RBI.

Murakami didn’t stop there, adding a two-run single in the seventh and a solo blast in the eighth for a career-high six RBIs.

“It was going to come sooner or later,” Murakami said through interpreter Kenzo Yagi. “It’s not like I’ve been having bad approaches. I wasn’t hitting home runs, but the approach itself was good. It was all about being patient in the box.”

“We all knew that whenever he came back, he was going to be able to help the team, and that’s what he does,” said third baseman Miguel Vargas, whose two-run homer in the sixth proved to be the game-winner. “It’s just Mune being Mune.”

Bobblehead

The White Sox gave away a bobblehead Sunday representing Murakami’s first career home run on Opening Day in Milwaukee, with the packaging being almost as cool as the bobblehead itself.

“I have not looked at it yet,” said a smiling shortstop Colson Montgomery before the game. “But I bet it’s gorgeous.”

A line stating “I have power” sits at the base of the bobblehead. With this special honor for the rookie, his mom, Fumiyo, and his dad, Kimiya, threw out first pitches.

Fumiyo threw to Yagi. Kimiya made his toss to Murakami.

“The last time my parents came, I was injured,” Murakami said. “Just being out on the field today and getting the results in front of them [leaves me] really speechless.”

Even with Sunday’s big results, Murakami laughed and said he has to let his parents go home.

“Back in Japan, they have their dogs,” Murakami said.

Never forget the bidet

Shinya Tamura also threw out a first pitch Sunday.

Who is Tamura, you might ask? Well it’s a fair question. He is the president and executive officer at Toto Ltd., responsible for putting the bidets in the White Sox home clubhouse. There is actually a plaque featuring Toto washlets on the bobbleheads, with their name also featured in a few places on the box.

Clubhouse bidets were a request from Murakami to the team after touring the ballpark for the first time, and the White Sox happily obliged. Murakami has been a tremendous unofficial spokesman for the bidet industry.

“Having Murakami as a popular influential person able to introduce something about washlets will be helpful,” Tamura said through an interpreter. “Players are enjoying it and we are happy about it.”

Ballpark sushi

On Friday, the White Sox introduced Muneshot sushi push-pops to the Lucky’s concession stand in Section 154 down the left-field line at Rate Field. There’s a California crunch roll and a shrimp tempura roll, priced at $23 each, with soy sauce included in the push-up stick.

“I don’t eat sushi, so I have not tried it,” said White Sox executive vice president Brooks Boyer. “But people who have tried it say it’s pretty good.”

“I’m really happy to see that, but I haven’t eaten it yet,” Murakami said. “I would like to taste it first.”

More than 2,000 were sold over the three days, and all three games were sushi sellouts, according to the White Sox. Sushi will be replenished starting Monday, as the White Sox host a tough Yankees squad for four games in an attempt to increase their division lead.

“We know how important it is for us to win every single game,” Vargas said. “We all know we have a tough week coming up against really good teams and we want to be able to be on top, doing the best performance we can do.”