ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- Hot Button is a 'round-the-clock feature that covers anything across the scope of sports. We're here to bring you everything hot: News items, highlights, takes — everything but hot meals — whether local, national or international. Better yet, it’s interactive. Share your thoughts in comments, and even post your own links to interesting, safe-for-work sports stories.
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VALDEZ, ALVAREZ LEAD ASTROS
TO SECOND CHAMPIONSHIP
Saturday, November 5: When Kyle Schwarber hit a solo home-run off Framber Valdez in the top of the sixth inning, the Phillies had to feel good to have broken the ice in Game 6 against one of the toughest postseason starters in recent memory. That good feeling didn't last long. With two on and one out in the bottom of the sixth, the Phillies brought in Jose Alvarado to relieve Zack Wheeler, and Yordan Alvarez welcomed him with a 450-foot, three-run home run to give the Astros a lead that was never threatened, helping secure a 4-1 win and Houston's second World Series title in six seasons.
YORDADDY TO THE MOON. pic.twitter.com/4BiiPpjcTM
— Houston Astros (@astros) November 6, 2022
Astros rookie shortstop Jeremy Pena was awarded the World Series MVP after hitting .400 (10 for 25) with five runs, three RBIs and a home runs in six games. He was 7 for 13 over the last three games. Pena capped a very successful postseason debut — he was named MVP of the ALCS against the Yankees.
My take: As usual, it came down to pitching. Not sure I would have pulled Wheeler at 70 pitches in the sixth inning with a one-run lead, but it mattered little in the end — the Phillies bats went cold, managing just three runs over the last three games, after 15 in the first three. It was a good run for Philly, an 87-win team which got hot at the right time. There will be no accusations of cheating this time, so Houston has one World Series title fans can't mark with an asterisk. Overall, a so-so series. Kind of anticlimactic the final three games. The Pirates are now officially tied for first place in the NL Central.
OVECHKIN SETS SINGLE-
TEAM GOAL RECORD
Saturday, November 5: Alexander Ovechkin set another goal record in his chase for Wayne Gretzky's all-time mark of 894 goals. With a power-play goal in the second period of Washington's 3-2 loss to Arizona Saturday night, Ovechkin scored his 787th career goal — the most by any player for one team, breaking Gordie Howe's Red Wings record.
Ovechkin has seven goals on the season and is just 15 shy of passing Howe for second place on the all-time goals list.
My take: Looks like Ovi's on his way to another 50-goal season, That will have him around 830 goals by the end of the season, meaning he would be on pace to break Gretzky's all-time mark around the New Year in 2024-25. Seems far, but I'm betting he gets there. — Bob
BETTMAN ISSUES STRONG
STATEMENT ON BRUINS' MILLER
Saturday, November 5: NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman commented Saturday, saying the Bruins had not consulted the National Hockey League before signing controversial defenseman Mitchell Miller and that Miller is currently unable to play in the National Hockey League:
"He's not coming into the NHL, he's not eligible at this point to come into the NHL. I can't tell you that he'll ever be eligible to come into the NHL. If in fact at some point they think they want him to play in the NHL -- and I'm not sure they're anywhere close to that point -- we're going to have to clear him and his eligibility and it'll be based on all the information that we get firsthand at the time."
Bettman acknowledged that Miller can play affiliate hockey in Bruins organization but "nobody should think at this point he is or may ever be NHL eligible and the Bruins understand that now." Miller is currently assigned to the Providence Bruins of the American Hockey League.
My take: Seems Miller's road to the NHL just got a lot longer and any gray areas have been clarified. It appears the league's process will be a little more rigorous than the Bruins' was. Prudence prevails. Now, if only Bettman could find that same passion and determination toword the elimination of shots to the head and intents to injure ... — Bob
MY THREE YEARS
WRITING 'HOT BUTTON'
Saturday, November 5: Three years ago today, Dejan sent me a text at 1:47 a.m. asking if I would be interested in taking over the "Hot Button" feature, something we were struggling to update regularly. (If that time seems late to you, it's not. You'd be awed at the hours this staff works to provide you the best possible coverage.) After some brief back-and-forth over expectations, responsibilities and logistics, I agreed. My first post went up just over an hour later at 3:05 and I've made at least one new post every day since — 1,096 days and counting.
I can't thank Dejan and Dali enough for their confidence and trust in offering me the feature and for their unwavering support since, giving me the latitude to do pretty much what I want with it — they have a tremendous ability to trust the staff to do its work while giving us the space to let our creative energies make it the best it can be. That's a rare thing. I'd also like to thank the amazing DKPS staff who've helped me in ways large and small along the way.
Of course, my deepest gratitude goes to you, the readers. I'm proud of the community we've built here together and humbled by the generosity and vitality you bring to the feature through your participation in comments and your daily scroll down the app or web page to find it. We've done pretty good for ourselves with zero linkage on the site and that's a credit to all of you. It motivates me every day. So, cheers! Here's to the next 1,096 days ... and beyond.
— Bob
BERGERON 'ON THE FENCE'
WITH BRUINS SIGNING MILLER
Friday, November 4: Bruins captain Patrice Bergeron said he was "on the fence" when he heard the organization signed former Coyotes 2020 fourth-round pick Mitchell Miller, during an interview Frdiay on Sportsnet.
Miller, a defenseman, was signed to a three year entry-level contract, and it immediately sparked alarm and outrage from many throughout the hockey world because of a 2016 incident in which Miller, then 14 years old, bullied a Black teammate physically, while taunting him and and calling him the n-word. Miller was charged and convicted of violating Ohio law and that conviction was sealed, so the incident was relatively unknown until the bullied classmate, Isaiah Meyer-Crothers, shared his experience after Miller was drafted.
Miller issued a public statement in response, admitting his guilt and saying he had apologized to Meyer-Crothers directly and had worked on himself, promising he was no longer capable of that behavior. That did little to mitigate the damage done and consequences were immediate, with the Coyotes relinquishing their rights to him and Miller getting kicked off the University of North Dakota team. He sat out that season (2020-21) but returned to play in the USHL last season, setting single-seaon league records of goals (39) and points (83) by a defenseman.
Bergeron told Sportsnet he felt the organization's decision "goes against what we are as a culture and as a team, and for me as a person."
Bruins president Cam Neely released a statement after the signing, claiming that "during this evaluation period, Mitchell was accountable for his unacceptable behavior and demonstrated his commitment to work with multiple organizations and professionals to further his education and use his mistake as a teachable moment for others."
Meyer-Crothers' mother took to Twitter after the announcement Friday to say Miller had not directly apologized to her son or the family until and instagram post last week, directly contradicting Miller's post-draft statement.
My take: Setting aside the debate on whether or not a person should be judged on the mistakes he made in his youth, if the team captain says the signing goes against the team's culture, then the signing was a bad move. Regardless of Miller's on-ice acumen, would the potential wins be worth it if they came at the expense of the organization's morals? — Bob
FIFA IMPLORES CUP TEAMS
TO FOCUS ON FOOTBALL
Friday, November 4: FIFA has sent a letter to the governing soccer bodies of all 32 World Cup nations imploring them to prevent their teams from participating in political displays of protest of the host nation Qatar during the quadrennial competition, beginning November 20.
Qatar has come under intense scrutiny for its human rights record and treatment of migrant workers tasked with building venues, hotels and entertainment areas and preparing them for attendees. Several countries' players are already planning on-field protests, including Denmark, which will wear all black uniforms during the tournament in acknowledgment of all those who've suffered and died at the hands of the Qatari regime.
Several teams are wearing arm bands with various logos to protest and the Australian team, the Socceroos, released a video in which 16 players condemn Qatar's civil rights record, offers support to mistreated migrants and finishes by saying "... universal values like dignity, trust, respect and courage should define football values.”
My take: FIFA is stupid to believe this letter will have any effect on what the players do. Even the threat of sanctions against teams will do little, as they are willing to take principled stands, even if it means getting tossed from the tournament. Perhaps moving forward, they will vet a host nation's human rights record before allowing it to host the world. Perhaps, but doubtful. — Bob
ASTROS PUT PHILS ON
BRINK OF ELIMINATION
Friday, November 4: The Astros are one win away from the franchise's second World Series championship, beating the Phillies, 3-2, Thursday night at Citizens Bank Park, and taking a three games to two series lead. The series returns to Houston on Saturday night for Game 6.
Justin Verlander didn't have his best stuff, but he battled through some control issues to limit Philadelphia to one run and four hits in 5.0 innings to earn his first career World Series win in seven decisions. Rookie shortstop Jeremy Pena was instrumental again, factoring in on all the Astros runs. He singled home Jose Altuve in the first, hit a solo home run in the third, and singled Altuve to third with no outs in the eighth — Altuve would score on a sacrifice fly. The Astros also got some timely defense, as center fielder Chas McCormick made a leaping grab against the centerfield wall to rob J.T. Realmuto of extra bases with one-out in the ninth inning:
Chas McCormick!!!!! OH MY WORD!!!! pic.twitter.com/qMGbgxSGTV
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) November 4, 2022
The Phillies will turn to Zack Wheeler to try and get them to a Game 7, while the Astros have to feel good about sending perennial playoff standout Framber Valdez to the mound to seal the series.
My take: The Phillies bats have gone cold. They had seven baserunners in the first five innings but could not manufacture any runs against Verlander, outside a Kyle Schwarber home run. After that, they managed just two more hits. Great catch by McCormick, too — that might be a triple if he doesn't make the grab. Not looking good for Philly, especially with Valdez taking the ball. — Bob
L'VILLE MENS BASKETBALL
GETS MINOR PENALTIES
Thursday, November 3: Once considered one of the primary perpetrators of illegal conduct in a federal investigation, the Louisville men's basketball program received only minor penalties after an independent investigation found that it could no be proven Adidas was a representative of the university and therefore could not technically funnel recruits to the school.
As such, former head coach Rick Pitino and assistant Chris Mack received only minor penalties, and none that will preclude them from coaching in the NCAA. Each was fired by Louisville when the allegations surfaced and Pitino coached in Italy for two seasons before returning to coach Iona. It was anticipated Pitino and Mack would receive show-cause penalties which would prevent them from coaching and other activities until it expired.
The Cardinals did not receive a postseason ban, either, getting two years of probation, a $5,000 fine, a two-week unofficial-visit ban, and official public reprimand.
My take: *Best Dr. Evil voice*: "Riiiiight." Louisville was squeaky clean. This was all about the school firing Pitino and Mack, and taking five years to figure all this out. Pitino and Mack essentially served their show-cause time had it been issued, so the NCAA's independent review didn't have to go through the hassle. There's zero chance Pitino wasn't involved in all this. Perhaps he was smarter in how he did it so it couldn't be proven? Anyway, since they officially did nothing wrong, do they get their 2018 championship back which they were forced to vacate? — Bob
RAIDERS GREAT, HOF
PUNTER GUY DIES
Thursday, November 3: Raiders legend and Hall of Fame punter Ray Guy died Thursday. He was 72. No cause of death was announced, but it was confirmed as a lengthy illness by the National Football League, which released a statment announcing Guy's death.
Considered the greatest punter of all-time, Guy was a 3-time first-team All-Pro and 7-time Pro Bowl player. He was so highly valued that the Raiders took him with the 23rd overall pick in the 1973 NFL Draft. He led the league in yards-per-punt three times and had a career average of 42.4 over 14 seasons, all with the Raiders franchise
He was selected to the Pro Football hall of Fame in 2014 and is the only punter enshrined as a player. The collegiate award issued annually for best punter is the Ray Guy Award.
My take: Guy was a unicorn and worth a first-round pick. Anyone who saw him play back in the day could tell he was unrivaled. He was like a 12th defender, switching field position with 60- and 70-yard kicks. Rest in peace to the best to ever do it. — Bob
JAVIER, RELIEVERS
NO-HIT PHILLIES
Wednesday, November 2: Four Astros pitchers combined to no-hit the Phillies Wednesday night at Citizens Bank Park, becoming the first team to throw a combined no-hitter in postseason history, winning 5-0 and leveling the World Series at two games apiece.
Cristian Javier threw 6.0 innings to get the two-thirds of the way there, striking out nine, and Bryan Abreu, Rafael Montero and Ryan Pressly each threw one inning. Combined they struck out 13 and walked three.
Offensively, Houston got all of their runs in the top of the fifth inning. It started with three straight singles off Phillies starter Aaron Nola, who was then replaced by reliever Jose Alvarado, who promptly hit the first batter he faced, followed by an Alex Bregman double to knock in two runs. A Kyle Tucker sacrifice fly and a Yuli Gurriel single finished out the scoring.
Game 5 is Thursday night in Philadelphia. The Astros are turning to Game 1 starter Justin Verlander — 0-6 all-time in World Series starts — while the Phillies send Noah Syndergaard to the mound for Philadelphia's last home game of the year.
My take: Beyond the fifth, it was a well-pitched affair. Both teams combined for one hit in the final four frames. Will Verlander break his personal World Series losing streak? Seems unreal that one of the best pitchers of his generation is that bad in the biggest games. — Bob
SNYDERS INVESTIGATE
SELLING COMMANDERS
Wednesday, November 2: Dan and Tanya Snyder have hired Bank of America Securities to investigate transcation opportunities for the Commanders, including a possible sale of the team.
Dan Snyder has been steadfast in his position he would never sell, despite fan chants at home games shouting "Sell the team!" and pressure from owners, notably Jim Irsay of the Colts, to potentially vote the Snyders out — 24 of 32 owners would need to agree. This followed a rumor that Dan Snyder had hired private investigators to dig up dirt on fellow owners and an alleged claim Snyder would never be voted out because of insider information he already had on several of them. Snyder subsequently sent a letter to all teams stating the rumors were not true and it was an attempt by outside forces to create division.
The Commanders are currently under another independent investigation into hostile workplace allegations and a congressional investigation into alleged withholding of season-ticket revenues from the NFL.
My take: It serves everyone if they just sell and go away. This was always just a toy for Snyder, and he ran it like a petulant fanboy. They're going to make a mint off their initial investment if they sell. Just get on with it. — Bob
GUARDIANS LEAD WAY WITH
FOUR GOLD GLOVE WINNERS
Wednesday, November 2: How does a team with a $56.5-million payroll and few power hitters win 92 games and the division, and advance to the Divison Series in the playoffs. Pitching, duh. But also, apparently, defense.
When the 2022 Gold Glove Award winners were announced Tuesday, The AL Central champion Guardians had four players named. Andres Gimenez (second base), Steven Kwan (left field), Myles Straw (center field) and Shane Bieber helped Cleveland lead all team in winning fielders. It was the first Gold Glove for each player — their were 14 first-time winners in 2022.
Nolan Arenado won his 10th consecutive Gold Glove at third base in the National League, beating a statistically better Ke'Bryan Hayes. One Gold Glove for utility players was issued in each league for the first time: DJ LeMahieu (Yankees) won in the AL; Brendan Donovan (Cardinals) in the NL.
FULL LIST OF 2022 GOLD GLOVE WINNERS
My take: Like the Pro Bowl, many win Gold Gloves on reputation or because they have the best bat among the finalists, even if they aren't the best defender at their position — admittedly, all nominees are very good defenders. It was good to see utility players recognized, becasue that skill is undervalued. I was shocked to learn it wasn't named for Josh VanMeter. — Bob
