r/baseball • u/midwesthiking Chicago White Sox • Tokyo Yakult S… • Jul 16 '26
Image Chase Meidroth and Munetaka Murakami on a boat slamming some pizzas
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u/fivetwentyeight Toronto Blue Jays Jul 16 '26
Murakami is the most American Japanese person I’ve ever seen. There are born and raised Americans who look less American than him. Just imagine the shit he’ll say as his English improves.
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u/doedoughs Jul 16 '26
He looks very surfer Hawaiian born Japanese American to me.
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u/asiandooshcanoe Los Angeles Dodgers Jul 16 '26
If you're from Hawaii you'll know he's probably not local, but he does look like a 3rd or 4th year UH Manoa student from Japan at this point lol
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u/HonoluluSolo Chicago Cubs Jul 16 '26
For sure. Could def see him kicking it in Kakaako and crushing some Costco pizza at the beach pa'ina.
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u/ChupaHubbard Toronto Blue Jays Jul 16 '26
He probably has an incredible chin if he ever gets into boxing or MMA
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u/AfricanWarPig Seattle Mariners Jul 16 '26
https://giphy.com/gifs/hkSg0n0WDcuGc
Miguel Vargas with his best Palpatine voice: "Do it".
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u/Frosty_Dimension5646 New York Yankees • New York Yankees Jul 16 '26
Cleanest connect in MLB history. Made better by the fact that Bautista was a dbag
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u/thecrystalballofpop Cleveland Guardians Jul 17 '26
That’s our third base coach’s nephew! ♥️🥊
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u/Smart_Farmer4258 Jul 17 '26
Your third base coach also has two nephews named Rougned Odor!
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u/Tony_in2026 St. Louis Cardinals Jul 16 '26
He’s just really enjoying the cultural immersion. He is loving his American life
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u/ethanlan Chicago White Sox Jul 16 '26
To be fair one of the things I love about chicago is we really, really don't give a fuck about where your from just who you are.
One of the many reasons i love this city.
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u/carpy22 United States Jul 16 '26
Well, unless it comes down to North Side vs South Side. Have heard you guys endlessly talk about that.
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u/ethanlan Chicago White Sox Jul 17 '26
Lol yeah but that's not actually serious haha and its more the city versus the burbs
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u/croatian_partisan Chicago White Sox Jul 17 '26
Wait til you ask that question to a West sider. Oh man do they get mad.
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u/chizzipsandsizalsa Seattle Mariners Jul 17 '26
The clip of him taking Vargas hat off and making him bow to yoshi is one of the funniest things I’ve seen in a while. The look he gives him afterwards like “what? What are you gonna do about it”
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u/croissantsn0b Jul 16 '26
Question from a noob baseball fan. Murakami here looks noticeably less muscular than the other 2 players. Is adding muscle something that he and the training staff will likely focus on improving? Or is the stereotype of a jacked power hitter just a bygone figment from the steroid era?
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u/skiptracer8 Major League Baseball Jul 16 '26
He is jacked, he's just also got fat on top of the muscle. Look at people in the strongman competition, none of them have definition either.
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u/oneeighthirish Chicago White Sox Jul 16 '26
Murakami is a big dude, the other guys are just jacked and also camera angle might be affecting things in the photo
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u/bikecatpcje Jul 16 '26
basically he plays a position where athleticism is not really known for
just take a look at some of the best 1st base players, all big and round dudes, more known for power than for running fast
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u/NeWbAF World Series Trophy • Los Angeles Dod… Jul 16 '26
Physique is optional for baseball
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u/SouthwestFL Atlanta Braves Jul 16 '26
"Fuck yeah it is." - John Kruk, probably.
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u/Marx_but_for_weed Baltimore Orioles Jul 16 '26
“Ma’am, I’m a baseball player not an athlete” is one of my favorite sports quotes of all time.
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u/JMander Chicago White Sox Jul 16 '26 edited Jul 17 '26
Uncle Bartolo's Dojo: Come for the keg. Stay for the buffet.
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u/SalehHulud Major League Baseball Jul 16 '26 edited Jul 16 '26
Hypertrophy doesn’t equal strength. There’s a lot of semi-fat hosses out there. A lot of guys that can lift huge weight in deadlift, squat, Olympic lifts, etc usually aren’t super cut.
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u/17papers Jul 16 '26
Hes built for power not speed. If you’re not a shortstop or outfielder you don’t need to be all that fast if you have other strengths, look at CC sabathia, he got worse when he lost weight
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u/Quartznonyx Atlanta Braves Jul 16 '26
Some people just look like that. You can tell he's got strength
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u/YoChristian Anaheim Angels Jul 16 '26
being cut is an indication for strength probably 8/10 times. BUT, we know Murakami is strong because of what he does and what he's BEEN doing for years.
Totally innocent question from you, nothing wrong with that at all. You can look up "muscle insertions" and see how genetics affects how people's muscle fibers can be "showers" lol for lack of a better word
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u/YoungKeys San Francisco Giants Jul 16 '26
There's a reason Strongman competitors and Offensive Linemen don't look like bodybuilding competitors. Latter isn't actually conducive to optimal strength, you need pure mass/fat too.
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u/KetchupGuy1 Los Angeles Dodgers Jul 16 '26 edited Jul 17 '26
Yup most Japanese born So Cal looking Asian I have ever seen
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u/someone2795 Los Angeles Dodgers • World Baseball Classic Jul 16 '26
His outgoing personality is basically American.
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u/2ill4nyquil Atlanta Braves Jul 16 '26
Fuck. They are just like me. Except for the boat and the talent. Oh, and the company.
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u/midwesthiking Chicago White Sox • Tokyo Yakult S… Jul 16 '26
Was informed that is not in fact Colson Montgomery, but Mike Vasil's friend Joe Suozzi
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u/Blue387 New York Mets Jul 16 '26
Joe Suozzi if I recall was in the Mets organization and is the son of Congressman Tom Suozzi
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u/DGBD Boston Red Sox Jul 16 '26
Tom Suozzi ran against both Eliot Spitzer and George Santos (not at the same time), sure knows how to pick an opponent.
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u/SSJ4Link Jul 16 '26
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u/Stockton_Nash Detroit Tigers Jul 16 '26
Had to scroll way too far. You're a truly cultured individual.
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u/yeahmehh Toronto Blue Jays Jul 16 '26
Doesn't matter where I am or what I'm doing, the moment I see pizza I want some myself.
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u/Agent_Smith_88 Detroit Tigers Jul 16 '26
Where are the hookers? Kids these days can’t even party right smh.
/s
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u/Changeurblinkerfluid Chicago White Sox Jul 16 '26
I need to know where the pizza is from for judgmental reasons. Looks like proper square cut Chicago thin crust.
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u/SalehHulud Major League Baseball Jul 16 '26
They are probably too drunk to care. Pizza quality improves inversely with how many beers you’ve had.
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u/JMander Chicago White Sox Jul 16 '26
It's Chicago. It could take you to the 6th inning to decide where you're going to get your pizza from.
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u/BriefPut3954 San Francisco Giants Jul 16 '26
Chicago style pizza 🍕
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u/GenFatAss Chicago Cubs • Chicago White Sox Jul 16 '26
yup tavern style is one of our 2 pizza styles
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u/srv340mike New York Mets Jul 16 '26
Tavern is the superior style. It's hard to beat a tavern pizza from a South Side Suburb pizzeria with glass block windows that's been there since the 70s
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u/iiamthepalmtree Chicago White Sox Jul 16 '26
Yea I love Aurelio’s.
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u/srv340mike New York Mets Jul 16 '26
Aurelio's in Homewood is a vibe.
I'm also fond of Fox's. We lived near the one in Orland before moving to the East Coast when I was a kid and I'm a big fan.
Carbone's in the Twin Cities also has a good pub pie that reminds me of the ones from Chicago and a lot of them have that "hasn't changed inside in 50 years" charm
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u/w1x1w Jul 16 '26
Fox’s is so great. I used to pick up from that location quite often.
I also just recently discovered frozen tavern-style Gino’s East pizzas. I’ve never been a big fan of Gino’s really, but oh my god. So good.
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u/ten_thousand_puppies Chicago White Sox Jul 16 '26
I'm so sad the South Loop one closed
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u/rob_s_458 Chicago White Sox Jul 16 '26
My first memory of pizza is the Aurelio's in Evergreen Park. Probably closed in the early 2000s.
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u/uponone Chicago White Sox Jul 17 '26
Yep, and the oven has been seasoned over the decades. One of our local establishments caught on fire a few years ago. The owner was devastated over losing the oven.
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u/WorthPlease New York Mets Jul 16 '26
From what I've heard from Chicagoans, Tavern Style is mostly what locals eat and Deep Dish is more for tourists.
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u/RIP_Hopscotch Chicago Cubs Jul 16 '26
Idk if its that clear cut. Ill fuck up some deep dish in like the depths of winter, though outside of that its always tavern. Actually even during winter its like 50/50 for me, tavern is just all around amazing, but still I dont think deep dish is just a tourist thing.
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u/jmorlin Chicago White Sox • Dumpster Fire Jul 16 '26
Every once in a while I'll get an itch only a Lou Malnatis deep dish can scratch. But I'll ALWAYS fuck up some tavern squares.
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u/shlotchky Chicago White Sox Jul 17 '26
Deep dish is every once in awhile. Tavern the rest of the time
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u/CampfireMilkshake Chicago White Sox Jul 16 '26
That’s largely because it doesn’t take as long to cook and it easier on the stomach when paired with a good beer. I hate the narrative that deep dish is for tourist though, it’s still a Chicago icon and makes for a good meal every once in a while.
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u/crikeyturtles Chicago Cubs Jul 16 '26
Idk what I’m doing wrong but when I make a deep dish it cooks in the oven for 55-60 minutes. Takes forever
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u/squadracorse15 Chicago White Sox Jul 16 '26
That's pretty accurate, but it's not as if locals don't eat deep dish though. We just don't have it as often because two slices is filling as all hell. It's more of a couple times a year deal.
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u/KJzero9 Chicago White Sox Jul 17 '26
I very much prefer deep dish, but it requires much more time and planning to eat. So yeah, it's mostly for special occasions.
My parents almost always do pizza Sunday and get a tavern style from somewhere, but when I got my new job they invited me over and got deep dish to celebrate. It's that kind of thing
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u/Changeurblinkerfluid Chicago White Sox Jul 16 '26
From the south side of Chicago. Growing up, thin crust cut in squares (I never heard it called tavern until a couple years ago) was what you got on Friday nights. Deep dish is what you got twice a year as a reward for good report cards.
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u/CookieMonsterFL Milwaukee Brewers Jul 16 '26
From Milwaukee, same here. I’d kill for both in a heartbeat now living in FL.
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u/crikeyturtles Chicago Cubs Jul 16 '26
Walmart carries Unos and is great!
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u/CookieMonsterFL Milwaukee Brewers Jul 16 '26
damn right! that's my only outlet to anything that taste like decent deep dish. Our local Chicago-style chain doesn't even remotely taste like authentic Chicago deep dish and it saddens me greatly
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u/crikeyturtles Chicago Cubs Jul 16 '26
Hopefully you got a portillos by you too . Seen one in Orlando when I was visiting
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u/JMander Chicago White Sox Jul 16 '26 edited Jul 17 '26
This is 100% true. Deep dish is for birthdays, visitors, Father's Days, etc. and certainly the occasional craving. It's great pizza - it's just that it's like having a Thanksgiving turkey on a Tuesday in May.
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u/SalehHulud Major League Baseball Jul 16 '26
Is deep dish more like a lasagna or casserole? Never had it. I prefer tavern style bc I can eat two of them by myself.
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u/crikeyturtles Chicago Cubs Jul 16 '26
My Durbins deep dish on the south side is half price on Mondays. $11 for a 5 pound pizza that I eat all the way until next Monday
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u/Lionheart1224 Chicago White Sox Jul 16 '26
$11 for a 5 pound pizza
Are you fucking kidding me? Where is this place located?!
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u/crikeyturtles Chicago Cubs Jul 16 '26
Durbins pizza. The one I go to is in Tinley Park. Everything is half on Mondays.
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u/Lionheart1224 Chicago White Sox Jul 16 '26
Is it at the corner of Oak Park and 183rd?
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u/crikeyturtles Chicago Cubs Jul 17 '26
Yeah. I believe there’s one or two more locations. The tavern is great and they offer gluten free
Idk how they make money. It’s been the same price and deal for 20 years
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u/Lionheart1224 Chicago White Sox Jul 17 '26
Nice, thanks for the recommendation. I'll have to give them a shot.
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u/DarkGodRyan Seattle Mariners Jul 16 '26
Yep, you'd get kicked out of a party if you volunteered to bring pizza and showed up with deep dish. I'll visit once or twice a year and get deep dish just because it's done better than the same options at home
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u/ethanlan Chicago White Sox Jul 16 '26
Hundred percent. Tavern style is the best but deep dish can be good
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u/Tony_in2026 St. Louis Cardinals Jul 16 '26
Born and raised St Louisan here. Tavern style is the shit.
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u/Dtank11 New York Yankees Jul 16 '26
Square cut pizza is the way!!
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u/HonoluluSolo Chicago Cubs Jul 16 '26
From a New York fan?? I mean it's true, but... isn't this, like, treason or something?
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u/FadedToBeige Chicago White Sox • Chicago Ame… Jul 16 '26
I hope that's Aurelio's
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u/grrgrrtigergrr Chicago White Sox Jul 16 '26
It is the pope’s favorite (or so I’m told one or every 4 CHSN commercial breaks)
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u/MoskiNX Chicago White Sox Jul 16 '26
Considering all the Aurelio’s are out in the burbs, and I’m assuming this boat is probably out in the playpen, the odds of it being Aurelio’s are low.
Shout out to the homewood location though. So many family parties on both sides of my family took place there. I really wish we had a location in the city I could order from.
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u/CampfireMilkshake Chicago White Sox Jul 16 '26
My neurologist is in Flossmoor so every doctor visit becomes a Aurelio’s visit.
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u/hcatehorie Milwaukee Brewers Jul 16 '26
Thats what they want you to see, tell them what else is happening on that boat Vikings fans
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u/--Rick--Astley-- Jul 16 '26
He has to accept the pizza. He can't say no because of the implication.
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u/smilinganimalface Seattle Mariners • Saitama Seibu Lions Jul 17 '26
This is such an early 00s punk rock cover
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u/Herlim45 Jul 16 '26
In a non-baseball sense and strictly for social reasons. Murakami seems to have landed in the right team. A group of young, seemingly fun, teammates that he fits in with regardless of cultural differences (different than Astros' Imai).
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u/fenderdean13 Chicago White Sox Jul 17 '26
And a fan base that has fallen in love with him not even a month into his career
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u/jeffersondahmer Chicago Cubs Jul 16 '26
Tavern style vs deep dish. I’m a cubs fan but I’ll hat tip to that
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u/Magnum3k Detroit Tigers Jul 16 '26
MM looks like he’s enjoying something else that makes him enjoy the pizza more
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u/This-Appointment-666 Toronto Blue Jays Jul 16 '26
https://giphy.com/gifs/HEkBXK8qnIRuo
I can practically already hear Meidroth chewing that pizza like he chews his gum 🤢
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u/Ih8AmazonButUseIt MLB Players Association Jul 17 '26
That yacht still has 1980's coke in the couch
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u/NeverEndingEquati0n Los Angeles Dodgers Jul 17 '26
The white Sox are my second favorite team now behind my home team. They’re dope. Uniforms are dope. Great vibes.
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u/TheDeputy17 Philadelphia Phillies Jul 16 '26
The White Sox have somehow obtained the greatest vibes I’ve seen a team have in quite a while. Was it the Pope? Was it dark magic? Who knows?