Munetaka Murakami's signing press conference arrangement sparks controversy; White Sox criticized for neglecting Japanese fans' interests

Following Murakami’s two-year, $34 million deal with the Chicago White Sox, the team held his unveiling press conference on Monday local time. Yet, the timing—2 a.m. Tokyo time on Tuesday—and the CHSN broadcast being limited to Chicago viewers led to backlash from some fans who felt the team mishandled the event.

The White Sox fan site, Southside Showdown, published an article titled “White Sox Suffer Major Loss Due to Murakami Press Conference Scheduling,” stating: “Fans had been looking forward to witnessing the White Sox’s first major free agent signing press event in years. Initial anger turned into confusion and disappointment because thousands of Japanese fans who love and follow Murakami’s career couldn’t watch.”

The article further analyzed: “Murakami, who became a Japanese superstar by breaking the Nippon Professional Baseball single-season home run record with 56 homers and winning the youngest Triple Crown in 2022, is sure to bring many new fans to the White Sox. If these new supporters cannot watch the signing press conference simply because they are not local, it leaves a poor impression.”

The piece also compared this to Shohei Ohtani’s signing with the Los Angeles Dodgers: during the 2023 offseason, Ohtani’s press conference was deliberately scheduled at 8 a.m. Tokyo time, showing much more consideration than the White Sox’s handling of Murakami’s event. It noted: “Fans used to watch these conferences live on the team’s YouTube channel, but since CHSN took over broadcasting this year, that option is no longer available. Whether it’s the team or the broadcaster’s responsibility, this creates a negative perception.”

Despite criticism of the team's arrangements, Murakami himself has received generally positive impressions among White Sox fans. Coinciding with Christmas, he personally donated 100 grocery gift cards worth $100 each to the community center near the team’s home stadium, helping vulnerable families enjoy a peaceful holiday.