Japan was the first-ever champion of the World Baseball Classic, lifting the championship trophy on foreign soil in 2006. If Samurai Japan repeats the feat at the inaugural Premier 12, the Japanese will get to do all their celebrating at home.
Japan has been added as a co-host for this fall's 2015 Premier 12, World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) president Riccardo Fraccari revealed during a news conference at a Tokyo hotel on Monday.
"The idea (for the Premier 12) was born because the strongest countries asked many times to play more than once every four years," Fraccari said.