Playoff spots have been clinched across Major League Baseball this week, prompting many locker room celebrations.
Champagne bottles have been popped, beers have been poured over faces, and more than a little bit of newsroom equipment has likely been ruined. But in all of that partying, it’s possible that no one enjoyed the playoff celebration more than White Sox rookie slugger Munetaka Murakami.
Murakami was interviewed mid-celebration by CHSN reporter Brooke Fletcher. His interpreter Kenzo Yagi was there to translate her questions to Murakami, but when it came time to answer, Murakami decided to take the mic himself.
On a scale of one to 10, how would he rate his first celebration in an MLB clubhouse?
“One hundred! Not 10! Hundred!”
How many bottles of champagne had he opened?
“Hundred!”
What did it mean for him to celebrate the moment with his White Sox teammates?
“I am Japanese!” Murakami yelled as his teammates doused him in more beverages.
Munetaka Murakami having the time of his life during the clubhouse celebration 🤣 pic.twitter.com/5iDdXdzoM7
— MLB (@MLB) September 25, 2026
Language barriers might make communicating with the media tough from time to time, but as Murakami made clear, the language of partying, much like the language of baseball, is pretty universal.
Fans across the sport loved Murakami’s enthusiasm.
Baseball is the BEST !! https://t.co/qA9QHKVMeS
— Sarah Langs (@SlangsOnSports) September 25, 2026
Okay, obviously I’m a brewers fan first but this guy is freaking awesome lol. https://t.co/KyaXUNZNmz
— TheQuartering (@TheQuartering) September 25, 2026
This really might be the greatest thing I’ve ever seen https://t.co/y4xFEp6Nij
— John McKechnie (@johns_tailgate) September 25, 2026
Murakami’s celebration is well deserved. The White Sox were coming off of three straight 100-loss seasons, and entered the season expected to finish near the bottom of the division again. Instead, they flipped the script and are now through to the playoffs for the first time since 2021. Kudos to Fletcher and Yagi for bringing the moment to life, and kudos to Murakami for stepping up to the plate and hitting this one out of the park.
The White Sox will open their postseason run on Tuesday, almost certainly against the Cleveland Guardians, who they trail by one game in the race for the AL Central.
About Tyler Lauletta
Tyler is a editorial contributor at Awful Announcing, with previous stops at Sports Illustrated and Business Insider during his career covering sports in digital media. He is, begrudgingly, a Truster of the Process and general Philly sports sicko.