NERD AROUND TOWN
Nerds Around Town: Super heroes on TV, Sonic chicken clubs and Chris Rock
May 15, 2019, 6:39 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!
Here comes Wednesday, which means the weekend is right over the horizon. You got this!
GOOD DEED OF THE DAY
Here's the long and short of it. Exit 73, this Sunday at noon. My buddy has cancer and it's a benefit to help him and his family deal with all the costs. It's a sad state of affairs when being sick can ruin you if you survive. He has a wife and three daughters, they're great people, they could use some help. #NerdsUnite
HAVE YOU TRIED THESE?
Sonic just debuted a new King's Hawaiian Chicken Club Sandwich and it's awesome. I'm big on chicken sandwiches in general anyway and this is one of the better ones. Obviously the bread is awesome that's sort of the point of this one right, using King's Hawaiian bread. Well it works, it's delicious and I recommend more people eat it. The other part of this one is the sauce, it's got one of the better sauces that a fast food has put on a sandwich in awhile, it's a Sonic Signature Sauce so I have no idea what it is but it's a tastier rip off of the big mac sauce meets honey mustard I think. Either way, it's awesome.
THE RETURN OF FARGO
So I might be the only one who still loves this show, but I freaking love this show. I thought every season of it has been great and I can't wait to see what's to come next. The new season is said to have Chris Rock as the head of one of two families that trade sons to keep the peace between two crime families, then enters the mob. Every season has kind of been about these smaller criminal organizations that rule their world like a king but then a real organization comes in and changes everything. How long can you hold power in the face of real power? I think that's what it all comes down to.
THE LANDSCAPE OF COMIC BOOK TV
The world of television is changing, a few years back there were tons of comic book television shows building up on the horizon and little by little they came and went and now on the horizon there are maybe only about a third as many comic book shows. I think that's ok, actually that may be great because it means we've passed the "fad" phase of programming, there were probably a few shows that got picked up and made simply because they were comic book shows. Not that they were great and would help a television line up but just because "everyone loves comic books." That's now no longer the case it looks like and I think it's great.
NOT THAT YOU ASKED
Yesterday they announced they're lining up a major relaunch of the X-Men line of comics. The comparisons and the conversations are this is the next big chapter in the history of X-Men. Jonathan Hickman is coming back to Marvel to write it and it seems like he's going to be the lead architect behind all of it. He was the shaper of the whole massive Fantastic Four story that ended in Secret Wars, with Dr Doom realizing Reed Richards is truly the better man, it was a great run. Brian Michael Bendis seems to have started this trend by jumping to DC and basically being given a whole line of youth oriented comics to relaunch Young Justice with and it seems like Hickman has the same control over the X Men stable for the near future. I'm excited for the X-Men having an organization wide plan with one cohesive story and plot built into it with one guy leading the world of the mutants, I think it's what's been missing here lately from a lot of the lines at the big companies, cohesion without events, I hope it works.
I'm going to jump out and wish you guys a great Wednesday and remind everyone to be kind to each other and try a little harder to have a great day! I'm coming back Thursday 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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