Hot Button: Reds adding Arroyo to team Hall of Fame? ... Eagles all in, acquire Quinn ... Wainwright changes mind, returning to Cardinals

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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REDS NAME PITCHER ARROYO 
TO TEAM HALL OF FAME

Thursday, October 27: The Reds announced Wednesday that they are inducting pitcher Bronson Arroyo to the team's Hall of Fame in 2023. No date has been set for the ceremony.

Arroyo, who was drafted by the Pirates in 1995 and played his first three seasons with Pittsburgh, spent nine seasons in Cincinnati (2006-13, 2017), recording a 108-100 record for the Reds, with a 4.18 ERA (4.70 FIP) and a 1.280 WHIP over 279 starts, striking out 1,157 batters — sixth in franchise history — in 1,761.1 innings pitched. He won a Gold Glove in 2010. Arroyo is 7th in franchise history in games started.

The right-hander with his signature high, straight leg-kick, pitched in 16 major-league seasons with the Pirates, Red Sox, Reds and Diamondbacks, recording a 148-137 record, a 4.28 ERA and 23.4 WAR.

My take: There's no doubt Arroyo was a dependable, durable pitcher, taking the ball every fifth day for Cincy, but that's a low bar for Hall of Fame status at any level. He gave up 275 home runs during his Reds tenure, though that's somewhat expected over that many innings in that bandbox. He made an All-Star Game in 2006. I dunno. Not seeing it — he pales in comparison to the likes of Tom Seaver, Jose Rijo and Johnny Cueto, but the Reds can obviously do what they want. — Bob

PHILLY STIFFENS D WITH
TRADE FOR EDGE QUINN

Wednesday, October 26: The Eagles made it clear the the rest of the National Football League that they are not taking their undefeated 6-0 start for granted, acquiring 12-year edge defender Robert Quinn from the Bears on Wednesday for a 2023 fourth-round draft pick. 

Quinn, 32, was the 14th overall pick of the Rams in the 2011 draft and played his first seven season for that franchise before one-year stints with the Dolphins and Bill, then settling in Chicago in 2020. He is a three-time Pro Bowl player, including last season when he recorded 18.5 sacks — 102 in his career. He's had a dramatic decline in production this season. Despite playing over 67 percent of defensive snaps, Quinn has just eight total tackles and one sack.

My take: Quinn had a season like this in 2020, but rebounded last year for a dominating season. Da Iggles will be hoping a change of scenery will spark his game, but a change in scheme into more of an edge role instead of the hand-in-the-dirt approach he's been struggling with in Chicago will likely do the trick. Either way, Philly just got better. — Bob

WAINWRIGHT DECIDES HE'S NOT 
DONE, RETURNING TO CARDS

Wednesday, October 26: Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch is reporting that Adam Wainwright is returning to the Cardinals in 2023, with details to come shortly.

Wainwright, 41, was understood to be retiring after saying 2022 would be his last season. He got a swan song with fellow Cardinals Yadier Molina and Albert Pujols — also believed to be retiring — when they were removed together in the middle of their last home game to a thunderous standing ovation from the Busch Stadium crowd.

Wainwright has pitched for 17 years, all with the Cardinals, and has a career 195-117 record in 457 appearances (390 starts) with a 3.38 ERA (3.44 FIP), 1.216 WHIP and 2,147 strikeouts in 2657.1 innings pitched. In 2021, he was 11-12 in 32 starts, with a 3.71 ERA.

My take: Wainwright still has plenty left in the tank, if last season was any indication, so it's not a situation where a guy just can't walk away from the game. Perhaps a quest for 200 wins? On the down side, the Pirates are now 0-3 entering 2023. — Bob

KESSEL ALL-TIME CONSECUTIVE
GAMES-PLAYED LEADER

Wednesday, October 26: When the puck dropped in San Jose at 10:50 p.m. ET, Golden Knights forward Phil Kessel officially played his 990th consecutive game, becoming the National Hockey League's all-time leader in that category, passing retired defenseman Keith Yandle, who set the record last season when he passed Doug Jarvis. Kessel's streak began on November 3, 2009.

Kessel, 35, celebrated in style, scoring his 400th career goal on the historic night — just the 13th American player to accomplish the feat — and he did it in trademark Kessel fashion; with speed:

My take: Congrats to Phil the Thrill. A thousand hot dogs to that man ... or 990, either way well-deserved. I don't suspect the streak will end anytime soon, either, and unlike Yandle he won't be caught in the foreseeable future. 37-year-old Brent Burns has the only other active streak of any real length, and it's "just" 685 games. — Bob

NFL FINDS NO VIOLATION OF
OFFICIALS SEEKING AUTOGRAPH

Tuesday, October 25: The National Football League announced Tuesday that on-field officials Jeff Lamberth and Tripp Sutter did not violate league rules when postgame video appeared to show each involved in getting an autograph from Buccaneers receiver Mike Evans in the tunnel to the locker rooms.

Despite appearances, the league said an investigation determined the officials were not getting an autograph from Evans but stopped short of explaining exactly what they were doing — Evans is clearly writing on a piece of paper. The NFL did say they have reminded Lamberth and Sutter " ... of the importance of avoiding even the appearance of impropriety when interacting with players, coaches, and club staff on gameday -- including during the pregame and postgame time periods."

My take: Whatever. If it was completely innoncent, why not share with fans what the two officials were doing? Why would Evans need to write on a piece of paper after the game? It's entirely possible it was innocent behavior, so just tell us what it was, even if it was more collegial that the NFL would have liked? — Bob

RUSSIAN COURT DENIES
GRINER APPEAL

Tuesday, October 25: In a development surprisig to no one, a Russian court has denied WNBA star Brittney Griner's appeal of her nine-year prison sentence for possession of illegal narcotics, specifically liquid cannabis cartridges for vaping. An accommodation was made, granting Griner 1.5 days of time served for each day of pre-trial detention — she was detained on February 17 and sentenced August 4, meaning she has now technically served one year of her nine-year sentence — in essence, she has eight years remaining.

Griner's defense team argued once again she was prescribed the cannabis oil by a licensed U.S. doctor and that Griner had no intention of violating Russian law. Griner claimed the cartridges were left in her travel bag as an oversight.

The United States Department of State officially views Griner's detention and susequent sentencing as unlawflu and politically motivated. It claims to have been in active negotiations with Russian officials since May to secure her release. One imminent concern is now that Griner has had her appeal, she can be sent to a hard-labor camp to serve out her sentence.

My take: This was utterly predictable, actually the whole thing has been. Griner did break a Russian law but there is no question she is a political prisoner and has been since her initial arrest. Will she be sent to a labot camp? That certainly would escalate tensions. — Bob

LEACH DELIVERS EPIC RANT
ON RECEIVERS' HANDS

Tuesday, October 25: Ever quotable Mississippi State head coach Mike Leach dug into some serious paleontology to describe the problem his receivers had catching the ball Saturday in a 30-6 loss to Alabama and the team's need to address it, with potential dire evolutionary connsequences if they fail:

My take: That's hilarious. What a classic response — the best part is he's half-serious. The good news? No pickpockets in Starkville's future. — Bob

SNYDER SENDS LETTER TO OWNERS
DENYING ESPN ALLEGATIONS

Monday, October 24: Daniel Snyder sent a letter to his fellow NFL owners informing them that he may sue ESPN over reporting in a recent article, which he views as potentially libelous.

The article sparked recent controversy about Snyder allegedly hiring private investigators to gather information on his fellow owners and Commissioner Roger Goodell in preparation for a potential battle over whether he continues to own the franchise amid an independent investigation that found rampant sexual misconduct in the workplace and a toxic work environment, plus a new investigation into whether or not the Commanders organization deliberately withheld season-ticket revenue from the NFL, to be shared with all teams.

Snyder denied the ESPN reporting in the letter, writing, “The article cites unnamed sources who said: ‘they’ve been told that Snyder instructed his law firms to hire private investigators to look into other owners’ and Commissioner Goodell. That is patently false and intended to erode the trust and goodwill between owners ... I have never instructed or authorized my lawyers to hire any private investigator on my behalf for any such purpose. And I never would.”

Snyder added that he might seek a legal remedy for libel and pledged, "Having the privilege to own a franchise in America’s sport is something I know none of us take for granted. Falsehoods and lies being spread about any of our organizations hurts our league, our players and our fans, and we simply cannot let them go unchallenged.”

My take: This guy's about as skeevy as they come, and he's desperate to keep his ownership stake, but this letter means nothing if he, or those working for him, stole money from his fellow owners. That vote would be 31-zip. — Bob

RYAN LASTEST BUST FOR COLTS, 
EHLINGER NEW STARTER

Monday, October 24: The Matt Ryan experiment in Indianapolis is over. Brought in to replace Carson Wentz, who was traded after one unsuccessful season, Ryan and his past Pro Bowl pedigree was supposed to get the Colts to the playoffs after close calsl the last two seasons. Instead, the 37-year-old former Falcon has an AFC-worst nine interceptions and has been sacked an AFC-worst 24 times. Despite Ryan's struggles, the Colts are 3-3-1 and in second place in the AFC South behind the 4-2 Titans.

Head coach Frank Reich said Monday that Sam Ehlinger, Indy's sixth-round pick out of Texas in 2021, will be the starting quarterback the remainder of the season. Nick Foles will assume backup duties and Ryan appears headed to the scout team while he nurses a shoulder sprain. Reich said the move was performance based and had nothing to do with Ryan's shoulder.

Ehlinger, who appeared in three games last season in sub-packages, threw no passes and had three rushes for nine yards. Last week, he passed Foles to be No. 2 on the depth chart and served as Ryan's backup in the Colts' 19-10 loss to Tennessee.

My take: This has to be Reich's last chance. He said Wentz would fix the team's problems last year and that Ryan would this year. Now he's on his third starting quarterback (not injury-related) in two seasons, and one who has never thrown an NFL pass? A bold move considering there's still a chance to win the division with 10 games remaining. — Bob