NERDS AROUND TOWN
Nerds Around Town: Celebrities, Titanic, and X Men movie news
May 30, 2019, 6:41 am
ART BY JESUS RODRIGUEZ
Born with a comic book in one hand and a remote control in the other, Cory DLG is the talent of Conroe's very own Nerd Thug Radio, Sports and Wrestling. Check out the podcast replay of the FM radio show at www.nerdthugradio.com!
Hey Nerds!
Just like that Thursday has popped it's head up and we're all excited about it, it's almost the weekend.
GOOD DEED OF THE DAY
Feeding America is a great cause and a great group to donate to. The reality is that even here in the greatest country on Earth lots of people go hungry every night, including children. Feeding America is trying to fix that for people, so help them literally feed America. Go online and donate today, it's a great cause. #NerdsUnite
NEW HOLLYWOOD
So this story crosses both esports and pop culture so I'll talk about it here and we'll see which way it goes. Celebrities are the new investing wave crashing into esports with names like Drake, Kevin Durant, and Michael Jordan joining different ownership groups in the past year or two. Mark Cuban invested in an esports betting and news site called Unikrn which is trying to be the place for all esports action. It's interesting to see this massive influx of cash, Michael Jordan bought into aXiomatic which is a group that owns Team Liquid who famously won $11 million dollars in the DOTA2 championship in 2017. If that number didn't make your eyes bulge for a second then you aren't thinking about it, a championship tournament for a video game with an $11 million prize. To me that brings back memories of a WSOP Main Event kind of thing, when the bubble was building and all kinds of people were getting very involved and ESPN was airing tournaments live, it isn't fair to call this the beginning, but this is a clear sign of the growth and health of an industry.
SAY WHAT?!
I learned something new the other day and I don't know if this is just me, so maybe you guys can tell me. There was a fire in the Titanic that was burning even before passengers boarded the ship headed for America. Apparently in those old ships they held 1.5 million tons of coal in their storage area for the boilers to burn so as to power the ship. Somehow there was a fire in that coal supply and even though there was supposed to be a massive team of firefighters apparently only eight stayed on board to fight the fire and the decision was made by ownership to set sail with the fire burning anyway, so over 2,000 people got onto a burning ship and set sail for America. That is insanity. This is the kind of careless and negligent decision making that forces people to make laws anyway. I had never heard this but apparently the investigators and historians are all in agreement that the ship was burning before it ever even left shore.
X MEN IS COMING
So the actors have all been making the media rounds in preparation for X Men Dark Phoenix coming out and something interesting recently made it's way out to the press. Part of the reason for reshoots is because the planned ending very closely paralleled another movie's ending that did wind up releasing already. There's a ton of super hero movies out in that window so it's hard to say who they accidentally copied but my bet is actually on Venom. It's an earth based tale of power overcoming morality and it has space ships in the beginning and end of the film. My pick is Venom, also it ends with Eddie Brock going into the water and in the comics the ocean is where Phoenix is found later by the Hellfire Club.
NOT THAT YOU ASKED
So somehow it's summer suddenly. We went from easy to deal with temperatures and heck even cool temperatures within the last few weeks to suddenly now we're going to melt in our cars. It's crazy how fast that all happens, and now it'll be 100 degrees for the next 5 months, because hey, it's Texas. Great, just great.
I'm going to jump out and wish you guys a great Thursday and remind everyone to be kind to each other and try a little harder to have a great day! I'm coming back Friday and we'll be bringing more good times your way. Feel free to check out my digital short story The Wilson House or buy a shirt from Side Hustle Ts where some proceeds help fight cancer or listen to Nerd Thug Radio or support our Patreon Page. Thoughts, complaints, events and comments can be sent to corydlg@gmail.com.
As the Houston Astros continue to navigate a season riddled with injuries and inconsistencies, the question looms larger than ever: can they keep their heads above water? With a barrage of pitching injuries threatening to derail their season, the Astros are finding themselves in a position where every decision matters more than ever.
The recent setbacks to the pitching staff (Hayden Wesnieski, Ronel Blanco) have placed even more pressure on the club. Lance McCullers, whose performances have been inconsistent, is now squarely in the spotlight. The Astros will need him to step up and shoulder a larger portion of the load. At the same time, the bullpen, which has been a bright spot so far, must continue its elite play to keep the team afloat. In particular, Houston can't afford to make mistakes in its decision-making, whether in the lineup or on the field.
Take, for example, the decision to give Chas McCormick a second start after his costly mistakes in Game 1 against the Rays. McCormick’s two pick-offs in that game showed he's lacking focus, yet he was given another chance to start Game 2. Houston needs to be making the right calls on the field, and this was a moment where the manager’s trust in McCormick might have been better placed elsewhere, considering his lack of success in the series.
On the offensive side, the Astros’ struggles have been just as apparent. Jose Altuve, a cornerstone of the franchise, has been attempting to bunt while hitting in the 3-hole. It’s a strategy that just doesn’t make sense. With the Astros needing to produce runs, Altuve's role is to drive them in, not waste strikes with ill-timed bunt attempts.
Is Houston's roster poorly constructed or just unlucky?
Given the pitching woes and offensive troubles, some are beginning to question whether the Astros’ roster is poorly constructed, or if it’s simply been an unfortunate series of events. The bad luck with pitching injuries is undeniable, but the offense tells a different story—particularly when it comes to the lineup’s balance.
One glaring issue is the team’s heavy reliance on right-handed hitters. With players like Christian Walker struggling at the plate, it’s hard to overlook the potential misstep in roster construction. Walker’s performance this season has been abysmal, and it’s fair to wonder if the Astros would have been better off investing in a more flexible first-base platoon. Players like Jon Singleton, Victor Caratini, Zach Dezenzo, Yainer Diaz, and even Mauricio Dubon could have filled in at first base, providing much-needed depth at a fraction of the cost. At this point, they couldn’t have done worse than Walker, who has posted a paltry .199 batting average, .270 OBP, and .607 OPS on the season.
In comparison, Walker’s numbers this season are worse than Jose Abreu’s 2023 campaign with Houston (.237 batting avg, .296 OBP, .680 OPS). Walker is a player known for slow starts, but nothing quite as severe as what we’ve seen in 2025. His struggles are reminiscent of a disastrous start to the 2022 season that saw him fail to find his rhythm until much later in the year, but even then, his slugging percentage was significantly better than what we’re seeing now.
Would a return of “career Yordan Alvarez” fix Houston’s offensive woes?
Amid the offensive malaise, the return of a fully healthy Yordan Alvarez could certainly provide a much-needed spark. If Alvarez were to return to his “career” form, with a healthy pitching staff, an intact bullpen, and a potential resurgence from key hitters, the Astros could see a drastic improvement in their fortunes. However, this is all contingent on a lot of “ifs,” and there’s no guarantee that a turnaround is on the horizon.
Observations and further concerns
As if the struggles on offense and pitching weren’t enough, the Astros’ defense has also been plagued by lapses in fundamentals. One of the more puzzling trends this season has been the number of stolen bases allowed, especially at third base. If the Astros continue to give up steals at this rate, it will be difficult for the pitchers to recover, especially if they are walking batters and putting runners in scoring position with alarming frequency.
We have so much more to get to. Don't miss the video below as we examine the topics above and much, much more!
The MLB season is finally upon us! Join Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and Charlie Pallilo for the Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode now on Thursday! Note: because of the holiday weekend, our next episode will be after Memorial Day on Tuesday.
*ChatGPT assisted.
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