Murakami's 'Dirty' Thought After Postseason Homer Draws Laughs
The White Sox slugger described his reaction to his ALDS Game 1 home run with a cheeky, yet unexplained, comment.
Chicago White Sox slugger Munetaka Murakami admitted his thoughts were "a little bit dirty" after hitting his first postseason home run in Game 1 of the American League Division Series against the rival Guardians. The two-run blast in the fourth inning helped propel the White Sox to a 3-0 victory and a promising start to their quest for their first ALCS appearance since winning the World Series in 2005.
When asked what he felt as he turned and yelled toward the dugout after connecting with the ball, Murakami, through an interpreter, offered the cryptic response that drew chuckles from the assembled press. It remains unclear what exactly the Japanese star meant by his comment.
"I really wanted the first run at a very important game, so I’m just really happy that I got one," Murakami said after the game.
Murakami, who is in his first MLB season after an eight-year career in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball, has earned praise from both teammates and opponents during the postseason.
"That dude can swing it, and that’s No. 1," Chicago catcher Kyle Teel said, according to MLB.com. "No. 2, I say as a guy in the clubhouse, a guy in the locker room, he’s a guy you want around for the culture as well. It’s rare you find superstars that also bring that to the table. It’s an honor to play with him."
Guardians catcher Austin Hedges echoed the sentiment. "He’s just a stud," Hedges said. "He can hit a home run in every pitch in every spot, so you’ve got to keep him off-balance as best as you can. Man, he’s fun to watch hit. Just not when he’s playing against us."
Murakami played in 127 games this season, posting a .207/.347/.478 slash line with 35 home runs and 77 RBIs, earning an MLB All-Star selection despite missing 35 games with a hamstring strain.