Signing Munetaka Murakami was no easy task for the White Sox.
He entered free agency as one of the most captivating players in baseball, totaling 246 home runs and 647 RBIs over eight seasons with the Tokyo Yakult Swallows. At just 25, he was the youngest free agent available and already a two-time Nippon Professional Baseball MVP.
But the White Sox investment in Murakami went beyond their two-year, $34 million contract—it also included a bathroom upgrade.
MLB.com’s Scott Merkin was the first to report that when Murakami was walking through the facilities, he noticed that the clubhouse bathrooms were missing something he had become accustomed to in Japan, a bidet.
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“One thing that stood out, one thing he did notice is I think we didn’t have a bidet in our locker room,” White Sox general manager Chris Getz told MLB.com. “That’s something that was new to him, and we are putting one in. So, it was like, ‘Ok, that’s something new. We can do that.”
The move won’t just make Murakami more comfortable — it also positions the White Sox to boast, quite possibly, the cleanest asses in Major League Baseball. Will that added comfort translate to wins on the field? Probably not. But it certainly can’t hurt for a franchise coming off three consecutive 100-loss seasons. And judging by Jerry Reinsdorf’s free-agent spending habits, it’s safe to assume not much money was being poured into bathroom facilities.
But the White Sox clubhouse wasn’t the only one getting a makeover. As the news spread rapidly across social media, the organization’s High-A affiliate, the Winston-Salem Dash, announced it would be installing bidets of its own.
“The White Sox will be clean from top to bottom as the High-A affiliate, as the Winston-Salem Dash, we strive to do what is best for our players on and off the field,” said President and General Manager Brian DeAngelis. “Therefore, we have installed bidets in the home clubhouse.”
Whether the trend spreads throughout the rest of the White Sox minor league system remains to be seen, but for now, the Winston-Salem Dash can thank Murakami for leading the way.
