{"id":30923,"date":"2026-05-28T02:16:01","date_gmt":"2026-05-28T02:16:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/trendifyhubusa.com\/index.php\/2026\/05\/28\/column-chicago-white-soxs-japanese-duo-rikuu-nishida-munetaka-murakami\/"},"modified":"2026-05-28T02:16:01","modified_gmt":"2026-05-28T02:16:01","slug":"column-chicago-white-soxs-japanese-duo-rikuu-nishida-munetaka-murakami","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/trendifyhubusa.com\/index.php\/2026\/05\/28\/column-chicago-white-soxs-japanese-duo-rikuu-nishida-munetaka-murakami\/","title":{"rendered":"Column: Chicago White Sox’s Japanese duo Rikuu Nishida, Munetaka Murakami"},"content":{"rendered":"


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The addition of Rikuu Nishida<\/a> to the Chicago White Sox was made to help lift the lineup<\/a>, giving manager Will Venable back-to-back speedsters at the bottom and top in Nishida and Sam Antonacci.<\/p>\n

But the Sox also hope that Nishida\u2019s presence can help slugger Munetaka Murakami<\/a> get more comfortable in the clubhouse, being able to talk to a teammate in Japanese.<\/p>\n

The two were center stage Tuesday night at Rate Field, teaming up for some late-game heroics after the Sox were shut down all night by Twins ace Joe Ryan.<\/p>\n

Nishida\u2019s eighth-inning single and a two-run shot by Murakami<\/a>, his 19th of the season, tied the game at 2-2, sending the crowd into a frenzy. Nishida waited for Murakami at the plate and bowed before they high-fived each other.<\/p>\n

But the Twins took the final bow, scoring three in the 11th on Brooks Lee\u2019s bases-clearing double and holding off the Sox for a 5-3, 11-inning win.<\/p>\n

Sean Burke threw seven strong innings, allowing two runs on three hits with eight strikeouts, but was outdueled by Ryan, whose only mistake was a sweeper to Murakami in the eighth that landed over the right field fence.<\/p>\n

\"Munetaka
Munetaka Murakami of the Chicago White Sox hits a two-run home run against the Minnesota Twins during the eighth inning at Rate Field on May 26, 2026, in Chicago. (Michael Reaves\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Murakami called it a \u201ctough loss,\u201d but welcomed the addition of Nishida.<\/p>\n

\u201cI never really had a teammate I can talk to in Japanese,\u201d he said through interpreter Kenzo Yagi. \u201cObviously I\u2019ve only had Kenzo beside me. It\u2019s really nice for me to communicate in baseball in Japanese as well. He\u2019a a very energetic player, a good player to have in the locker room, and I really appreciate that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Murakami\u2019s home run was his American League-leading 19th, though he said he was disappointed in himself for failing to come through in 10th, when he grounded into a double play with two on to end the inning. Still, he\u2019s on pace for 57 home runs, which would smash the White Sox record of 49, held by Albert Belle.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not really caught up in any records and such,\u201d Murakami said. \u201cTomorrow is going to be a new day. My first at-bat will be a new one, so I want to keep concentrating on what\u2019s coming next.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nishida went 1-for-4 and threw out a runner at the plate in the 10th inning<\/a>, just as he did on Monday in his major-league debut. He struck out in the 10th trying to bunt with two strikes and the ghost runner on second.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt starts with Rikuu and what he brings to the table,\u201d general manager Chris Getz told me before Tuesday\u2019s game. \u201cHe can defend, base run, he\u2019s high contact, a lot of energy, and is just a fun player. He\u2019s a winning player that we knew would mix in with the clubhouse.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut there\u2019s the added benefit of having someone that\u2019s Japanese. Obviously we have a translator and support staff (for Murakami), but to have a teammate now I think will be helpful with the comfort level and just communication in general.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Rikuu
Rikuu Nishida of the Chicago White Sox reacts after throwing out a runner at home against the Minnesota Twins during the 10th inning at Rate Field on May 26, 2026, in Chicago. (Michael Reaves\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Getz pointed to Nishida striking out in his first at-bat Monday against Zebby Matthews and talking to Murakami in the on-deck circle about what pitches he saw before heading into the dugout.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat was pretty cool,\u201d Getz said. \u201cAnd obviously this is day two for Rikuu, and he\u2019ll mix in well. But there is a bonus, him being Japanese.\u201d<\/p>\n

Venable also pointed to the on-deck conversation between the two players as an example of what Nishida can bring to the table, along with his on-field talent.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s obviously something that can happen with some of our other players, but you know you\u2019re going to get information through Rikuu there,\u201d Venable said. \u201cSame thing, as we\u2019re working really hard with Kenzo to make sure that the messaging and the game planning (for Murakami) is being translated accurately, which we\u2019re confident it is.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut to have Rikuu there also \u2014 to be another voice, another perspective from somebody who\u2019s at the plate, who\u2019s hitting, who understands all this stuff to another degree \u2014 is also very helpful.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nishida said having Murakami and Yagi in the clubhouse is an asset for him as he navigates through his days in the majors.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s strong, he has big leadership (skills), and he\u2019s like a dad to me,\u201d he said of Murakami. \u201cYou can just rely on him all the time \u2026There\u2019s a lot of Japanese guys, and there\u2019s a lot of Japanese media here too, so I\u2019m really comfortable here right now.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Japanese media mostly is here for Murakami, but he doesn\u2019t do pregame interviews, according to the White Sox, so they happily switched gears and made Nishida their focus. Murakami didn\u2019t speak after homering Monday in deference to Nishida, but made an exception after Tuesday\u2019s loss.<\/p>\n

As the team\u2019s biggest star, he should be more accessible. But the Sox aren\u2019t going to force him to change his routines, much like the Los Angeles Dodgers accommodate Shohei Ohtani\u2019s reluctance to speak with the media on a regular basis. So Nishida\u2019s outgoing persona will have to make up for Murakami\u2019s relative silence.<\/p>\n

Either way, the Sox could use the buzz the two Japanese players can create to help draw more fans to Rate Field this summer. The three-game series against the Cubs in the last homestand and Monday\u2019s Memorial Day game have all seen big crowds of more than 30,000 at the ballpark.<\/p>\n

The Sox were averaging 20,637 per game entering Tuesday, around 2,000 more per game than last year\u2019s average of 18,201. The summer months generally draw bigger crowds, so if the Sox continue to play well and Murakami keeps hitting home runs, they could see their biggest attendance increase since before the pandemic.<\/p>\n

Getz doesn\u2019t have anything to do with marketing and leaves it to marketing guru Brooks Boyer. But it doesn\u2019t take a genius to know that Murakami\u2019s home runs and Nishida\u2019s personality can make a difference at the box office.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt just kind of adds to the story, in a way, from a marketing standpoint,\u201d Getz said. \u201cYou\u2019d think it would be helpful, to have more eyes on the White Sox.\u201d<\/p>\n

Now if they can get more games televised for free on \u201cthe U,\u201d the Sox should be all set.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n


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