Arizona celebrates their CWS championship. (AP Photo/Eric Francis)

The Arizona Wildcats capped off a dominant College World Series Monday night in Omaha, Nebraska with their defeat of the South Carolina Gamecocks by a final of 4-1.  South Carolina, seeking their third straight CWS title, could not get anything going offensively as they were limited to just 9 hits and 2 runs by Arizona pitching during the best-of-3 championship finals.  A 5-1 Wildcats victory on Sunday night set the stage for the eventual title clinching win on Monday night. Tied 1-1 heading into the 9th inning, Arizona scored 3 runs in the top half of the inning leaving only 3 more outs for a title.  The Gamecocks threatened in their final chance at the plate by loading the bases with only 1 out.  But winning pitcher Matthew Troupe drew a line out and fly out to end the game and send the champion Wildcats rushing onto the field for a celebratory dog pile.  Junior Robert Refsnyder collected Most Outstanding Player honors by going 10-21 with 5 RBIs and 6 runs, including the winning run in the final game, during the 5 games in Omaha. The title is the 4th in the history of the Arizona program with their last championship coming in 1986.

Arizona accomplished their championship run with a high scoring offense, powered by Louisville Slugger baseball bats. The same Louisville Slugger Omaha, Exogrid and Z-1000 models that were used by the Wildcats are available now at Baseball Rampage.

A special arbitration panel ruled Thursday in a 2-1 vote to reverse the 50-game suspension imposed on Milwaukee Brewer superstar  Ryan Braun.  Braun, the reigning National League MVP, submitted a urine sample in October that contained a very high level of testosterone resulting in a failed test.

Despite the ruling, a cloud of uncertainty still looms large over Braun’s legacy in the eyes of fans and the media. Multiple sources have reported the reasoning behind Braun’s exoneration was due to a technicality in the shipment, storage and chain of custody associated with the sample. The test was conducted on a Saturday. The collector of the sample did not send the sample to the testing laboratory until Monday, thinking the FedEx office was already closed for the day. Instead he kept the sample in a cool place in his home over the weekend. Braun’s defense argued that chain of custody had been broken and the sample had been compromised.

Major League Baseball has expressed their displeasure with the ruling. A statement from MLB executive vice president for labor relations Rob Manfred stated “While we have always respected that process, Major League Baseball vehemently disagrees with the decision rendered today by arbitrator Shyam Das.”

Despite Major League Baseball’s objections and what some feel to be a reversal due to a technicality, Ryan Braun will be in the starting lineup for the Milwaukee Brewers on opening day. With the departure of superstar Prince Fielder in the offseason via free agency, the Brewers will rely heavily on their MVP to lead them back to the postseason in 2012. Milwaukee begins the season at home on Friday, April 6th against the visiting World Series Champion St. Louis Cardinals.

Read More: MLB.com

From November 23th through December 10, 2011, visitors at Baseball Rampage have a chance to Win Your Wishlist. Winning is easy. Simply visit www.baseballrampage.com, find products that you want to receive as gifts, add them to your wishlist by clicking “Add Item To Wishlist” on each product page, and then email the wishlist to your friends and family.

That’s it! You’re now entered to win a $500 gift card to Baseball Rampage good for any product on our site. Get the gifts you want this year including catchers equipment, baseball bats, gloves, and much more.

Visit the Baseball Rapage Wishlist Contest page for more details.

There are tons of great products to choose from at BaseballRampage.com, so we have selected the best deals on great gift ideas to help you get your loved ones what they really want this year.

Black Friday Sneak Peak Deals
Easton 2011 BNC2 Omen BBCOR (-3) Adult Baseball Bat Reg. $399.99 Now 349.99!	Easton 2011 BX74 Reflex BBCOR (-3) Adult Baseball Bat Reg. $94.99 Now 84.99!	Mattingly V-Grip Beast Composite (-10) Senior Bat Reg. $299.99 Now 99.99!
Verdero V4 Batting Gloves Reg. $29.99 Now 19.99!	Mizuno Wilson 2010 Pudge on Wheels Reg. $119.99 Now 89.99!	Wilson Catcher’s Bag WTA0906 Reg. $39.99 Now 25.99!

Don’t forget to visit BaseballRampage.com for Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals! As always we offer Complimentary shipping on orders over $99, 5% RampageBucks Rewards, and Free return shipping!

Every visitor to Baseball Rampage also has the opportunity to win a $500 gift card just for adding products to their wish list. Here’s how:

1. Visit the Wish List page to see which products, if any, you already have in your account.
2. Browse the Baseball Rampage website for products you’d like to receive as gifts this year.
3. Add them to your wish list by clicking the “Add Item To Wishlist” link under the Add to Cart button.
4. Once you’ve found all of the products you want, go back to the wishlist page and click “Email Your Wishlist” to send it to friends and family.

That’s it. You’ll be entered to win a $500 gift card from Baseball Rampage and your family and friends know exactly what baseball presents you’ll want this season.

Milwaukee Brewer’s first baseman Prince Fielder’s 3-run blast off C.J. Wilson of the Texas Rangers in the 4th inning proved the difference in the National League’s 5-1 victory over the American League Tuesday night.  The win gives the National League its first back-to-back All-Star game victories since the 1995-1996 seasons.  Prior to last year’s NL victory, the AL had won 13 consecutive All-Star Games.

Adrian Gonzalez of the Boston Red Sox delivered the first blow of the game with a solo home run in the 4th inning off Cliff Lee to give the AL a 1-0 advantage.  However in the bottom half of the same inning, Fielder’s home run gave his team the lead for good giving way to a dominant display of pitching from the National League bullpen.  The American League failed to score the remainder of the game managing only 2 hits in the final 5 innings of 7 different NL relievers.  Tyler Clippard of the Washington Nationals recorded the Win for the NL while C.J. Wilson took the Loss.  Giants and National League manager Bruce Bouchy turned to one of his own, the bearded hero of last season’s World Series, Brian Wilson, to record the Save.  Prince Fielder received MVP honors for his game deciding 3-run home run.

The victory for the National League grants its World Series representative home field advantage for the 7-game series against its American League counterpart in October.

So that pretty much does it. I think everyone was hoping that Alex Rodriguez was clean. We all hoped that he would break Barry Bonds’ homerun record, and that we could put the steroid talk to rest. That is not going to happen. A-Rod will be giving a press conference at noon today.

It seems that being a great player was just not good enough for these guys. They are ultra-competitive, Type-A people, who are always looking for an edge. They definitely made a bad decision by getting into drugs, but Major League Baseball is the real bad guy. MLB should have had a policy in place for testing and education. Because they did not, players get to use excuses, and allegations cannot be proven.

Baseball reaped the benefits of the homerun titans like McGuire, Bonds, and Sosa, and now baseball is going to feel the effects of the steroid allegations. I think it is sad that now every fan thinks about all players of the past decade with such suspicion. Had testing been in place, these players would not have used performance enhancing drugs, and their legacies would be intact. As it stands, some of the greatest players of our lifetimes are going to go down in the record books as cheaters.

Learn a lesson from those that have gone before you. Practice hard, lift weights, eat right, and you won’t need steroids.

Jim Rice and Rickey Henderson were elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame as the 2009 class. For Jim Rice it was his last chance, his 15th year of hoping, that become the magical one.  “Rice received 412 votes, good for 76.4 percent. Certainly not an overwhelming number, especially compared to fellow inductee Rickey Henderson’s 511 votes (94.8 percent), but good enough to get in,” wrote Mike Sullivan.

Rice was known for his power and keen batting eye, and hit his 382 homers not with brute strength and performance enhancing drugs, but with a quick bat. He smacked 1451 RBIs to add to his case, but along the way became known for his bad relationship with Boston sportswriters. These are some of the very writers that kept him from being inducted for 14 years.

Henderson was an energizing player. He is regarded as probably the most productive lead-off hitter of all time, and his rare combination of raw speed and power helped him amass 3055 hits, 297 home-runs, and 1406 stolen bases.He also has 2 championship rings on his hand, from stints with the Oakland Athletics and the Toronto Blue Jays. His 20 career spanned many events in baseball, and he helped change the game.

Bert Blyleven was shut out of the Hall again, and was not shy when asked how he felt about this. He vented to a reporter on ESPN saying something along the lines of, it stinks, and of course I’m upset. He feels that his numbers speak for him, and that it should not be a character contest. I say stop your crying. If I was a writer who voted for the Hall and you went on television whining about not being elected, I would never, NEVER, vote for you. Be a man. If you get in great. If not, the I guess you didn’t do enough.

The Hall of Fame should never be expected by anyone, and if you get in it should be an honor. I think Rice and Henderson are deserving. If I were Blyleven I would stay off TV. I guarantee that others share my opinion and his moaning could be the final straw that keeps him out of the Hall.

Due to the tough economy and billions of dollars in financial bailouts, I find it only fitting to talk about where the 2009 Free Agency Class is headed and the ridiculous amount of money some of them will be making. This year’s class includes a 36 year old man that wants a contract until he is 43, making him the richest pitcher in MLB history, and the richest closer in history. Add plenty of super-agent Scott Boras into the mix, and we a have a recipe for a fun offseason (a.ka. disaster). I have created a list of what I believe to be the top ten free agents this offseason, and where I think they will end up.

1. C.C. Sabathia: Recently Sabathia was offered a contract in the ballpark of 6 years, $140 million from the New York Yankees. Due to my love of the Cleveland Indians, I am naively believing that he won’t sell his soul for a huge paycheck. I look for him to stay in the National League because he loves to hit. Team: Los Angeles Dodgers

2. Manny Ramirez: No matter what you think of him, Manny can flat out hit. He is probably the best right handed hitter of my young lifetime. Although his agent won’t, we have to take into account that he is getting old. At 36 years old he can probably hit with anyone in the league, but at the end of the contract his agent is proposing (six years) he won’t be the same player. That is unless he joins the same gym as Barry Bonds, but I don’t see that happening. I look for him to get a four year deal with a club option for a fifth. Team: Los Angeles Angels

3. Mark Teixeira: At 28 years old, Mark Teixeira is still in his prime. He is someone that I could see receiving a six or seven year deal and over $100 million. I think Mark Teixeira should be the prize as far as hitters go. I am going to take all rational thought out of the equation and pick his team solely based on greed. Team: Cleveland Indians (please open up your wallets for once)

4. Francisco Rodriguez: KRod could not have had his record breaking season at a better time. Someone is going to open up their checkbook to the most dominating closer in the game. I think he could be looking at 5 years and $70 million. I don’t think it is out of the question that he stays with the Angels but… Team: New York Mets

5. A.J. Burnett: After hopefully losing the C.C. Sabathia sweepsteaks, I believe the Yankees will have to chase their tails to find another solid starting pitcher. I believe they will look Burnett’s way. However, i think they will once again get beat out by their American League East rivals. Team: Boston Red Sox

6. Derek Lowe: Derek Lowe is still a very solid pitcher. I think this is where the Yankees could make a splash. I think they will lose out on Sabathia, but need a solid starter for their rotation. They may be losing Pettitte, so I think a veteran like Lowe makes sense. Back to the AL East you go D-Lowe. Team: New York Yankees

7. Ben Sheets: Sheets is a tricky one to figure out. He is a great pitcher that is still fairly young, but hasn’t been completely healthy in a while. I could i see some of the bigger names (i.e. Yankees, Red Sox, Angels) take a stab at him, but I see him staying in the National League. Team: St Louis Cardinals

8. Orlando Hudson: I could see several teams vying for the services of Orlando Hudson. He will be the top middle infield free agent in baseball. Realistically (unlike with Teixeira), I could see the Indians in play here. They need to move Jhonny Peralta from shortstop anyway (presumably to third base), and Asdrubal Cabrera’s natural position is shortstop. That opens up a spot at second base. I believe it is a perfect fit. There is always the issue of cheapness with the Indians. Team: Cleveland Indians

9. Milton Bradley: There aren’t too many teams that would be willing to put up with Milton Bradley’s issues, which could drop his price into the mid market level. Milton’s talent has never been questioned, just his attitude. If his knee is not fully recovered, he could be limited to the AL as a DH. Team: Toronto Blue Jays

10. Ryan Dempster: Ryan Dempster was very solid for the Cubs last season. The Cubs have had such promising starters the past 10 years, but due to injury they haven’t worked out. I don’t see the Cubs letting him go. Team: Chicago Cubs

Nokona recently released their highly anticipated Nokona Bloodline Gloves. They use a “proprietary Prime Leather” to construct a well crafted hand made baseball glove. They have a deep rustic blood color, that really stands out when lined up against competitors. Personally, I have been very excited about the release of this line of gloves. The Nokona Bloodline did not let me down. Nokona claims that “this will be the best fit you will ever have in a glove,” and I couldn’t agree more. I have played baseball for twenty years, and I haven’t had a glove that felt more comfortable on my hand. You can feel the attention to detail that is put into these American made gloves. Nokona has created a line that has mixed style, comfort, and durability that would be a perfect Christmas gift for anyone that is passionate about baseball.

BaseballRampage.com has just announced a contest on their website. This contest is called “12 Days of Giveaways.” Baseball Rampage will be giving away 12 $100 gift certificates to BaseballRampage.com just in time to use to finish up your holiday shopping.

Every order in November is one chance to win. The more orders, the more chances to win. Each weekday, from 12/4-12/19, Baseball Rampage will randomly draw one winner to receive a $100 BaseballRampage.com gift certificate. The winners will be posted right here, on this blog, so check in to see if you win.

Read all the details and additional terms and conditions on the Baseball Rampage website.