The Japanese media "Sponichi Annex" reported on the morning of the 2nd that "The Success Story," in which a Japanese pitcher appears, will enter its final stage this week. It is about the dramatic story of "KBO League's first replacement foreign player," Keisho Shirakawa.핑크알바

The plot is as follows. △A young pitcher who played in the Japanese independent league signs a contract with the eyes of a Korean pro scout. △He moves to Korea across the sea and does his part as a starting pitcher. △He is fascinated by his simple personality and gets tremendous attention from fans. △But he is a "alternative foreign player." His contract expires in six weeks.

After comparing Shirakawa's current situation to the drama plot, the media said, "The drama season 1 starring Shirakawa will be the final episode this week." He added, "There are three options for Shirakawa's future destination: 'Remain SSG Landers', 'Return to Japan', and 'Transfer to another KBO club."

The possibility of remaining at SSG disappeared. SSG announced on the same day afternoon that it has decided to terminate the contract with Shirakawa, a foreign player who was substituted for his injury. Shirakawa signed a six-week contract of 1.8 million yen (approximately 15.7 million won) with SSG on May 22. The move is aimed at filling the gap of foreign pitcher Roenis Elias.

I didn't have high expectations. I just wanted to see Elias come back. However, he continued unexpected performance.

Shirakawa surprised everyone by allowing three hits, six strikeouts and no runs in five innings since his debut game against the Kiwoom Heroes on April 1. Shirakawa played a total of five games, recording two wins and two losses with an ERA of 5.09.

SSG was in trouble, because they had to choose only one thing: Elias' return and Shirakawa's stay. In the end, SSG chose Elias, and stopped accompanying Shirakawa.

Now, there is great interest in Shirakawa's destination. There are two options left. It is to go back to Japan or transfer to another team in Korea.

It seems that Shirakawa originally chose to go to Korea with the intention of returning to Japan. When his transfer to the SSG was confirmed, Shirakawa hinted at his return to Korea by saying, "I am going to play in the KBO League to draft the Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB)," and added, "I will make the best use of my experience in Korea when I take the mound in front of Tokushima fans."

If his goal is to nominate an NPB player, he could also return to Japan. Before coming to Korea, Shirakawa had remarkable performances with the Tokushima Indigo Sox of the Japanese independent league every year.

He played as the starting pitcher for the opening game for the third consecutive year, and this year he recorded 4-1 with a 2.32 ERA in seven games for Tokushima. According to the "Shikoku Island League Plus" record site, which Tokushima belongs to, Shirakawa is currently ranked third in the league (2.32) in ERA and fourth in multiple wins (4 wins) despite not playing in about a month since he was in Korea.

Tokushima is one of the largest teams in the Japanese independent league. It is a team that produces draft picks in the NPB every year. According to Sponichi Annex, the Tokushima team says it will "leave it up to me" to Shirakawa's future return.

Shirakawa, who played in Japan, captured the Japanese media 'High School Baseball Dotcom'

There is also an option to stay in Korea and move to another team. Some teams are interested in Shirakawa.

SSG plans to request KBO to announce its waivers on Wednesday. If it is announced as waivers, other teams can designate Shirakawa in reverse order when the announcement was made. Doosan Bears is in need of a substitute foreign pitcher. Currently, Doosan is ranked fourth with 44 wins, 39 losses and two draws.

Doosan's foreign pitcher Brandon Waddell suffered a shoulder injury in the match against the Samsung Lions on the 23rd of last month. After the examination, he was diagnosed with damage to the left lower abdominal muscle and left the line for about six to seven weeks.

Shirakawa was already on Doosan's radar network, which was searching for a foreign player. Doosan has publicly expressed its interest in Shirakawa.

However, he is not just looking at Shirakawa. Doosan Bears' Eric Jokisho, who played for the Kiwoom Heroes from 2019 to 2023, was also nominated as a substitute for a foreign player and underwent a test to join the team on June 30.

Moving to another team in the KBO League is also a good option for Shirakawa to pursue his dream of entering the NPB. While playing in Korea, he can still be selected for the NPB draft.

Although it was not a long time, Shirakawa left a strong impression on Korean baseball with his performance, pure image, and earnest attitude. Although the time to say goodbye has come, this is why fans are showing great interest in Shirakawa's destination.