The Chicago White Sox are headed to the ALDS, and Munetaka Murakami celebrated like a man who earned every drop of that champagne. Chicago finished off a wild-card sweep of the Houston Astros with a 7-3 win in Game 2 on Wednesday at Daikin Park, as first reported by ClutchPoints.
Then the clubhouse party started, and Murakami stole the show.
“I’m drunk!” the rookie first baseman shouted during his postgame interview, mid-celebration.
He tried to look ahead to the hangover, got his days mixed up, and then waved the whole thing off with the line of the night: “Sorry, I don’t speak English!”
The funny part is that Murakami did not have his best day at the plate. He went 0-for-5 with three strikeouts in the clincher. It did not matter one bit. His team won, and he was clearly feeling great about it.
That vibe is a big reason the 26-year-old has become a fan favorite in Chicago so quickly. His teammates rave about him too.
“He’s a special guy. He’s a guy you want to be around and learn with,” Miguel Vargas said before the playoffs. “His work ethic is unbelievable.”
The IAHHM Take
This is why people love October. Stats are cool, but the moments are what stick, and a slugger going 0-for-5 and still being the happiest man in the building is a whole mood.
As Vargas pointed out, Murakami won in Japan and at the World Baseball Classic before coming over, and he has brought that energy to a White Sox team that is suddenly playing deep into the fall. Personality like his travels. It is the kind of clip that gets passed around group chats by people who do not even watch baseball.
Now the real test begins. Chicago opens the ALDS against the Cleveland Guardians on Saturday, which gives Murakami a couple days to recover and get his swing right.
If the bat wakes up to match the personality, the Sox could be a problem.
So tell us: is Murakami the most entertaining player in these playoffs, or does someone else have him beat?
Related on IAHHM: Max Fried Gets Real After Yankees Knock Red Sox Out of the Playoffs | Guardians Clinch Third Straight AL Central Title
Source: ClutchPoints
