It is not very usual for Google to add easter eggs to baseball players until they are legends. But for our $34 million White Sox star, it has come early. Munetaka Murakami’s unhinged celebration after the White Sox made it to the postseason, after 3 consecutive 100-loss seasons, has become a sensation.
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“Google has added a reference to Munetaka Murakami’s iconic locker room celebration when you search his name,” reported TSN, and this is fun.
The White Sox star’s viral celebration has now become part of what appears when fans search his name. Google brings back his famous “One Hundred” moment, connecting the search page to his unforgettable clubhouse interview. That moment happened after the White Sox clinched a postseason berth with a 9-1 win over Kansas City.
That celebration came when Murakami was asked to rate his first MLB clubhouse celebration.
He could have simply chosen 10, but instead shouted, “One hundred! Not 10, 100!”
The answer quickly became the biggest part of a celebration filled with champagne and beer. Murakami then gave White Sox fans another moment when asked what celebrating with teammates meant.
As beer poured over him, he suddenly shouted, “I AM JAPANESE!”
That line was not random, because Murakami was paying tribute to former Blue Jays favorite Munenori Kawasaki. Kawasaki delivered the same famous line after his walk-off double against the Orioles on May 26, 2013. His energetic interviews had already made him a cult favorite among Toronto fans.
Murakami’s reference connected 2 Japanese players through celebrations separated by more than 13 years. It also showed how naturally Murakami was bringing his own personality into the White Sox clubhouse.
The fun continued after the White Sox moved through the Astros in a 2-0 Wild Card Series sweep. Murakami struggled during that series, recording just 1 hit and 5 strikeouts across 2 games. That did little to stop him from enjoying the clubhouse celebration. He admitted that he was drunk and joked about dealing with a hangover later.
Even without a big series at the plate, Murakami still found a way to entertain everyone around him.
Then Murakami brought that personality into the ALDS when the White Sox faced Cleveland in Game 1. He launched a 440-foot, 2-run homer off All-Star Parker Messick in the fourth inning. The blast was his first postseason homer and his 36th home run of the season. Afterwards, Murakami explained what he felt while turning toward his teammates after the swing.
“I can’t explain what I said in words,” he said, “but it was a little bit dirty.”
From “100” to “I AM JAPANESE!” to “a little bit dirty,” Murakami keeps giving fans something different after every game. For a 26-year-old rookie, his first season with the White Sox has already produced plenty of unforgettable moments.
Other MLB players to have gotten the same surprise from Google
Murakami’s Google surprise is unusual, but the White Sox star is not the first baseball player honored. Google has previously created special Doodles celebrating players whose stories reached far beyond baseball.
Toni Stone received an animated Doodle celebrating her groundbreaking career in the Negro Leagues. The animation showed Stone playing second base, honoring the first woman to play professional baseball.
That Doodle arrived during Black History Month, making Stone’s story the center of Google’s homepage. Stone played alongside legendary players and eventually joined the Indianapolis Clowns as their second baseman. The celebration came decades after Stone retired, giving fans another way to remember her story.
Jackie Robinson received a different Google surprise when the search giant marked his 94th birthday.
His Doodle appeared on January 31, 2013, celebrating the player who changed baseball forever. Robinson broke Major League Baseball’s color barrier with the Brooklyn Dodgers during the 1947 season. Unlike Murakami, his Google moment celebrated a birthday and a legacy already firmly established.
Another Japanese baseball star received similar recognition when Sachio Kinugasa celebrated his 76th birthday. Google created a Doodle highlighting Kinugasa’s career and his remarkable consecutive-games record. He played 2,215 straight games, holding baseball’s consecutive-games record for 9 more years.
Murakami’s treatment came during his first season with the White Sox, making his Google surprise arrive much earlier.