The Chicago White Sox’s rookie Japanese slugger has found himself in the middle of an unwarranted controversy, following his historic MLB debut. During a game against the Miami Marlins, a White Sox announcer’s new nickname for him sparked disapproval not only from fans but also from White Sox officials.

White Sox play-by-play voice John Schriffen made headlines when he used a potentially racist nickname for Munetaka Murakami.

Schriffen called Murakami the ‘South Side Samurai’ on Tuesday during the Marlins game, reported the Chicago Sun-Times.

Jeff Agrest of the Chicago Sun-Times reported, “Sox officials weren’t as excited about the possibility of offending viewers. Fans shouldn’t expect to hear the nickname again.”

Schriffen reportedly teased the nickname in the third inning of the match during Murakami’s second at-bat.

On the Chicago Sports Network broadcast, Schriffen reportedly said, “A lot of fans are coming up with potential names for Munetaka Murakami. I floated a few by him, and if he does something good, something big here tonight, [I] might just break it out. He has agreed to one of them that I think is going to be a real hit with a lot of people.”

But calling someone with Japanese roots ‘Samurai’ is often seen as culturally insensitive because it reduces a person’s identity to a clichéd, exoticized stereotype, rather than recognizing them as an individual. That’s where the whole controversy played out.

It was definite graver than what the franchise did back in February.

The Chicago White Sox misspelled his name on his locker during spring training, listing it as “Munetaki” instead of “Munetaka.” While Murakami laughed it off, sharing the story on his Instagram, the clubhouse fixed it in no time.

Murakami has displayed an explosive start to the season with three consecutive homers in his first three games against the Milwaukee Brewers. He is under a two-year, $34 million contract with the White Sox.

Against the Marlins, after Murakami hit an RBI single, Schriffen called him with the controversial nickname.

“That one is crushed into center field. Here comes [Edgar] Quero, he will score easily. An RBI single for the ‘South Side Samurai,’” announced Schriffen while reportedly emphasizing the nickname.

During the live broadcast, apparently, analyst Gordon Beckham also appeared to approve the nickname, too.

Schriffen is in the last year of his three-year contract as the White Sox announcer, and he has a history of landing himself in trouble in the broadcast booth.

He drew criticism from a local sports radio station, 670 The Score, in 2024. The hosts were unhappy with Schriffen mainly because of his mispronouncing legendary White Sox owner Bill Veeck’s name (“Veek” instead of “VECK”) and misidentifying plays.

Before Schriffen, White Sox announcer Jason Benetti also had a strained relationship with the White Sox management and left the franchise for the Detroit Tigers in 2023.

Now, only time can tell what the future holds for Schriffen at the end of his tenure.

Now, while the White Sox prepare to play their second game against the Toronto Blue Jays, Chicago has returned its Rule 5 pick.

White Sox return Rule 5 pick to Boston

The Chicago White Sox lost five of their first six road games against the Brewers and the Marlins. After suffering a sweep from the Brewers, they registered their first win of the season against the Marlins.

However, the franchise’s home opener started on a better note by defeating the Blue Jays, 5-4 in 10 innings. But as they prepare for their second home game, the Chicago team has decided to give up its Rule 5 pick.

The White Sox had acquired right-hander Jedixson Paez from the Boston Red Sox. The franchise had designated Paez for assignment after his debut game did not go as planned.

Paez posted an 18.00 ERA, giving up six earned runs and two homers in 3 outings for the White Sox.

The 22-year-old has not pitched above High-A Greenville in the Red Sox’s farm system before. Now that he has cleared waivers, he will be back in Boston again.

Last season, Paez logged 19.1 innings with a 2.79 ERA.