CHICAGO -- Will Venable was enjoying a holiday vacation with his family in New York on Dec. 20, but when you are the manager of an up-and-coming team such as the White Sox, the grind never stops.
So there was Venable, on what general manager Chris Getz called the latest Zoom that he’s ever been part of, working overnight to lock down Munetaka Murakami, a free agent from Japan who had landed as a prime option for the White Sox.
It was the start of a wonderful work friendship between the power-hitting first baseman and his team’s leader.
“I just love him as a person,” said Murakami, through interpreter Kenzo Yagi, when asked about Venable during an off-day interview session Tuesday. “And I'm really happy that he's my manager.”
The feeling is mutual and it’s easy to see why. Murakami joined the White Sox via a two-year, $34 million deal, and the latest White Sox rebuild pretty much came to an end.
Murakami’s talent didn’t single-handedly transition this team into sitting one victory away from reaching the American League Championship Series for the first time since 2005. It’s everything Murakami represents that has made the difference.
“From the beginning, I've been mentioning that we are the winning culture team with a winning attitude,” Murakami said. “It's from the beginning right away that I felt that. We started off losing three straight, but [they were] really close games. And obviously, [the] Brewers came back in some of the games as well. I knew right away that we were a contending team.”
“The best word to describe him in a baseball sense is just professional,” White Sox reliever Grant Taylor said. “Him bringing that mindset of he's here to win, he's here to get the job done. He came to the states to play in the postseason and be a part of a team that wins. Him bringing that mindset over kind of transitioned us from a 100-loss team to a team that believed in ourselves to then be able to get to the postseason and win ballgames.”
Chicago is a top-notch city to reside in and play in. The city’s spirit has been on display during numerous home games at Rate Field this season, and it will again take center stage Wednesday afternoon in Game 3 of the Division Series against the Guardians. But baseball is the focus for Murakami, and not exploring Chicago.
He’s here to work. He came here to win.
Murakami has a personal chef and training staff to help him get and stay ready. He has a precise workout regimen, much like Jose Abreu did during his highly successful years with the White Sox. While there have been adjustments here and there, he hasn’t changed his preparation since the start of the season.
“In his case, he really leans into his work ethic, which definitely stands out. I mean, to the point where sometimes we need to scale back with how hard he works,” said Getz of Murakami. “We noticed that early on, but that's where he goes with it.
“You put your head down, and whatever the task is, you focus on conquering that and then on to the next. So, when you're in the chaos of competition in the unknowns, you've got that level of confidence that you are fully prepared, and I think that that is a strength of his and clearly has been working for him.”
As far as his first playoff performance, Murakami followed a 35-home run rookie campaign with a 1-for-8 showing with one RBI during the Wild Card Series sweep of Houston, but he might have turned the whole ALDS with his two-run home run Saturday off Parker Messick. Murakami has four hits, four RBIs and eight strikeouts during the postseason.
Extra pressure would seem to fall upon Murakami, being one of the centers of attention within the playoffs back home in Japan. But pressure doesn’t get to him.
“I actually don't feel the pressure at all,” Murakami said. “During my nine-year career in Japan, I've experienced a lot of things, experienced a lot through the baseball career there.
“Actually, there were lots of big moments I have gone through, which leads to my point that I don't feel the pressure. It feels the same as throughout the season.”
It all started with a late-night Zoom.
“I’m so happy that he’s a part of our team,” Venable said. “Obviously, [he's] a really special guy. That comment means a lot. He means a lot to me personally, and obviously, to our club.”