Munetaka Murakami had a flourishing spring training debut with the White Sox on Friday, but traffic nearly blocked it.
About 30 minutes before the first pitch of the White Sox’s 8-1 Cactus League victory over the Cubs, the team announced that Murakami was a healthy scratch because the Japanese slugger was stuck in traffic.
Moments later, however, Murakami was back in Chicago’s starting lineup.
“Oh my god!” Murakami said in English: according to MLB.com.
“I was so worried about being on time,” he continued through interpreter Kenzo Yagi. “There was a big accident on the highway and I was worried the whole time. I was actually in the car until 12:50 p.m. [p.m., 15 minutes before first pitch].”
Although he wasn’t fully prepared for the game, Murakami showed why the White Sox signed him this offseason.
In his second at-bat, the first baseman blasted a single to center with an exit velocity of 110 miles per hour, according to Statcast.
For his next at-bat, Murakami launched a two-run double to center field after Cubs outfielder – and fellow World Baseball Classic Team Japan teammate – Seiya Suzuki lost the ball in the sun.
After the game, Suzuki jokingly told reporters that he does not support Murakami after his catch.
“After the pop-up, I hate him. So I’m not going to support him,” Suzuki told reporters through an interpreter before adding, “I’m just kidding.”
White Sox manager Will Venable praised Murakami’s “adaptability and flexibility” to the MLB ahead of his first season in the United States.
“You have to give Mune a lot of credit,” Venable said. “This guy is so dedicated and such a professional. We’ve asked him to do some things that he’s not necessarily used to, and the way he prepares and his adaptability and flexibility to do those things is amazing.”
The White Sox signed Murakami to a two-year deal worth $34 million in December after he received interest from several MLB teams.
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