Though the White Sox lost on Opening Day, it didn't take long for Munetaka Murakami to make his mark. The new slugger, who signed a two-year, $34 million pact with the team, smashed his first big league home run in the ninth inning and earned a new fan as he traded a signed bat in exchange for the baseball.
But there was another person who was watching Murakami's debut closely: Samurai Japan teammate Shohei Ohtani. As reported by MLB.com/ja writer Yuki Yamada, Murakami was told during a scrum with Japanese media that Ohtani had been keeping an eye on the ballgame, wondering "Did Mune get a hit?"
Asked if he had a message for Ohtani, Murakami revealed that there was a haircut on the line should he go hitless in his big league debut.
"Shohei-san recently got a 'techno-cut' hairstyle, and we were giving him a hard time about it," Murakami joked. "I declared, 'If I don't get a hit, I'll get a techno-cut, too.' He shot back, 'Looks like you're headed for a techno-cut!' So, please tell him: 'I successfully avoided it!'"
As Yamada explained, the techno-cut "refers to hairstyle that became popular in Japan in the 1980s, influenced by musicians from that era." He said that artists like Ryuichi Sakamoto or the Yellow Magic Orchestra popularized the look which, described most simply, is when "the sideburns are cut diagonally."
While we'll have to see if Murakami and Ohtani have any more style tips for each other, Murakami is focusing more on his performance on the field.
"I certainly feel like I’ve 'gotten started,'" Murakami said, "but I also feel like the real work is just beginning."