▁US ▁and ▁Cuba ▁since ▁ 1 9 5 9 ▁( y et ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁Cuba ' s ▁fin est ▁ball play ers ▁have ▁still ▁managed ▁to ▁defect ▁to ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁over ▁the ▁past ▁half - century ▁to ▁play ▁in ▁the ▁American ▁professional ▁le agues ). ▁Japanese ▁professional ▁players ▁also ▁have ▁a ▁difficult ▁time ▁coming ▁to ▁the ▁North ▁American ▁le agues . ▁They ▁become ▁free ▁agents ▁only ▁after ▁nine ▁years ▁playing ▁service ▁in ▁the ▁N P B , ▁although ▁their ▁Japanese ▁teams ▁may ▁at ▁any ▁time ▁" post " ▁them ▁for ▁b ids ▁from ▁ML B ▁teams , ▁which ▁commonly ▁happens ▁at ▁the ▁player ' s ▁request . ▁ ▁Several ▁tournament s ▁feature ▁teams ▁composed ▁only ▁of ▁players ▁from ▁one ▁country , ▁similar ▁to ▁national ▁teams ▁in ▁other ▁sports . ▁The ▁World ▁Baseball ▁Classic , ▁spons ored ▁by ▁Major ▁League ▁Baseball ▁and ▁san ction ed ▁by ▁the ▁sport ' s ▁world ▁gover ning ▁body , ▁the ▁World ▁Baseball ▁So ft ball ▁Confeder ation ▁( W B SC ), ▁uses ▁a ▁format ▁similar ▁to ▁the ▁FIFA ▁World ▁Cup ▁to ▁promote ▁competition ▁between ▁nations ▁every ▁four ▁years . ▁The ▁W B SC ▁has ▁since ▁added ▁the ▁Premier 1 2 , ▁a ▁tournament ▁also ▁involving ▁national ▁teams ; ▁the ▁first ▁event ▁was ▁held ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 5 , ▁and ▁is ▁planned ▁to ▁be ▁held ▁every ▁four ▁years ▁( in ▁the ▁middle ▁of ▁the ▁World ▁Baseball ▁Classic ▁cycle ). ▁The ▁World ▁Baseball ▁Classic ▁is ▁held ▁in ▁March ▁and ▁the ▁Premier 1 2 ▁is ▁held