
GLENDALE, Ariz. — After arriving at his new spring home in a different country with a misspelled name plate, learning a new position and a foreign language, Munetaka Murakami appeared calm Saturday while facing about 40 reporters and camera operators.”There’s no pressure at the moment,” the White Sox’s newcomer said, one day before the first full-squad workout. “I’m really used to have these types of crowds and fans around me. Now it’s just about being able to speak and communicate in English, and I’m getting used to it more and more.”As spring progresses, the expectations will be greater for Murakami, 26, who averaged 33 home runs in eight seasons for the Yakult Swallows in Japan and will be asked to fortify a power-needy lineup while playing first base and not third, his natural position.But in his first week with the Sox, Murakami shook off many of the nerves thanks to the entire organization and the help of translator Kenzo Yagi.“Still working on English right now but lots of gestures, lot of short words, short terms, but the communication is there and we’re happy to be teammates,” Murakami said.The Sox have rolled out the red carpet for Murakami by installing bidets, and Murakami expressed his appreciation with drops of humor.As for the bidet toilets, “basically what I did was told them how great the bidet is. It’s good for the environment too, right? Everybody uses too much toilet paper.”When his first name on his nameplate was spelled ‘Munetaki,’ “I thought it…
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