Munetaka Murakami is proving doubters wrong and bringing much-needed joy to the South Side

Much of Munetaka Murakami’s big-league free agency was shrouded in secrecy. Shingo Takatsu — Murakami’s longtime coach, manager and confidant since childhood — knew exactly as much as everyone else: pretty much nothing.He knew the slugger who’d broken Japan’s single-season home run record was determined to play in the United States, and was set to be paid handsomely for that privilege. Beyond that — where he’d go and how much he’d make — was one of the offseason’s most fascinating mysteries.Advertisement