NERDS AROUND TOWN
Overwatch and Game of Thrones headline a nerd's weekend
Apr 12, 2019, 8:17 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!
Well, we made it, another week in the books. I hope things are going as good for you as they are for me.
GOOD DEED OF THE DAY
The Epilepsy Foundation is hosting a Walk to End Epilepsy with the Houston Zoo. It's Saturday April 13th at 7am with registration at the front gate of the Houston Zoo. They're promising 95% of proceeds will be donated and this whole event will be held at zero cost to the community, that's awesome. Just go, just get out there and help them out.
WHAT ABOUT ME
So this weekend I currently have plans to watch some Overwatch matches, as the Houston Outlaws play their first and second match of Stage Two this weekend and I've got a poker night planned. I haven't played poker in forever, I used to be pretty good at it but again, it's been awhile. I wasn't one of those guys who knows the odds from every hand, as someone who came to adulthood during the "everyman" run of World Series of Poker where ESPN was airing these massive tournaments where amateurs were winning the main event every year there was a whole movement of people who basically learned poker that way, that and the movie Rounders. As interesting as it was and as much fun as I had playing growing up, I never really wanted to pursue it much past that because honestly, you never know if you're just the better player out of your group of friends or actually any good, and I never wanted to find out which size fish in which size pond I was. But this weekend is all about fun and I am excited.
MEANWHILE ON THE RACKS
So while you're running your errands this week, don't forget there's a comic shop somewhere near you and they're looking to help you get your geek on. This week there's all kinds of cool stuff out, worth mentioning from DC comics is Titans #36, which is listed as the series finale. The Titans are essentially a team of the original sidekicks of all the superheroes the first Robin, Kid Flash, Wonder Girl, etc. and they've been a group in the DC universe since their inception in 1980. There's usually been some version of this team around in the DC Universe forever, but comics can be complicated and now the guys who started this team are adults themselves, so are they still sidekicks if everyone moved on or are they the B-Team? Journey Into Mystery #1 from Marvel comics is a really cool looking book, it ties into War of the Realms which is a big event going on at Marvel where the other realms from the Thor movie are invading Earth and Asgard, essentially it's a very large war and in Journey into Mystery an eclectic mix of young heroes have been gathered to protect someone who may or may not be, Thor's little sister. Say what? Faithless #1 from Boom Studios is interesting, because it's listed as an erotica comic which means it's going to have some sex in it, graphic sex, but it's about a girl who is bored with her normal life and tampering with black arts in a way that she doesn't really grasp the scope of, so it's an interesting premise, it's got a big time comic writer on and it's a smaller publisher and usually the big time comic writers don't go into this category of book and the smaller publishers don't deviate from their usual style of books so this is a huge deviation for all involved and I'm intrigued as much by that.
THE RETURN OF GAME OF THRONES
So this weekend the thing everyone is probably holding their breath for is obviously the return of Game of Thrones. This is an amazing television series and full props go to HBO and their guys for creating an amazing product that has just been fascinating to watch. Perhaps just as fascinating though is the story of the little book that could, George R.R. Martin when he first pitched this book to publishers was convinced it was a trilogy, and the publisher loved it but thought they would do 5,000 copies of the hardcover and maybe 50,000 copies of the paperback over time. Think about that; they didn't think this thing was the monster it would become. It actually even debuted worse than that though and wasn't even on pace for those numbers and there's even a story of people leaving a book signing when he showed up for it, so it wasn't a great start for this series, but word of mouth spread and eventually the first book caught some heat and fast forward a little over 15 years and a television show debuts on HBO, now here we are on the verge of finding out who will sit on the Iron Throne, and we're all holding our breath and after 70 million copies in 40 languages, the world wants to know how it will end.
GETS YOU RIGHT IN THE FEELS
All right so we're going to focus on something really cool today, a kickstarter called Critical Core. The reason this one is interesting is because it's table top roleplaying game designed to help kids on the Autism Spectrum. Tabletop gaming is a social event, building friendships and having a great night usually a couple of hours playing a game and enjoying yourself and having a whole night of it. Social norms are on of the things that people with Autism sometimes struggle with obviously, being able to do whatever one else does in a social setting isn't usually in the wheelhouse of someone diagnosed with Autism which is what makes this game so cool. This is also designed to be built integrated into a dungeons and dragons game as well, so once someone has gotten used to it and can navigate it, then they have an opportunity to work and play with other people and get those chances at normal behaviors that sometimes has eluded them. I think that's a cause worth supporting, don't you?
NOT THAT ANYBODY ASKED
This week we're celebrating a milestone in the House of Cory. I sold my first fiction piece to a private party. Writing has long been something I've pursued and it's gotten me here in a freelance capacity and it continues to open many doors for me and it will continue to do so. Being on the radio for Nerd Thug Radio is so much fun getting to work with my cousin and my little brother and we are essentially a band in how we operate our show, but there's nothing like achieving something that for 35 years you've wanted to do but were never sure you'd get the opportunity to do. So anyway I just wanted to have this moment to victory lap, so to speak, thank you for reading my blog and I'll continue kicking butt for you guys!
I'm going to jump out and wish you guys a great weekend and remind everyone to be kind to each other and try a little harder to have a great day! I'm coming back Monday 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 every shirt is now under $20 or listen to Nerd Thug Radio or support our Patreon Page. Thoughts, complaints, events and comments can be sent to corydlg@gmail.com.
It’s May 1, and the Astros are turning heads—but not for the reasons anyone expected. Their resurgence, driven not by stars like Yordan Alvarez or Christian Walker, but by a cast of less-heralded names, is writing a strange and telling early-season story.
Christian Walker, brought in to add middle-of-the-order thump, has yet to resemble the feared hitter he was in Arizona. Forget the narrative of a slow starter—he’s never looked like this in April. Through March and April of 2025, he’s slashing a worrying .196/.277/.355 with a .632 OPS. Compare that to the same stretch in 2024, when he posted a .283 average, .496 slug, and a robust .890 OPS, and it becomes clear: this is something more than rust. Even in 2023, his April numbers (.248/.714 OPS) looked steadier.
What’s more troubling than the overall dip is when it’s happening. Walker is faltering in the biggest moments. With runners in scoring position, he’s hitting just .143 over 33 plate appearances, including 15 strikeouts. The struggles get even more glaring with two outs—.125 average, .188 slugging, and a .451 OPS in 19 such plate appearances. In “late and close” situations, when the pressure’s highest, he’s practically disappeared: 1-for-18 with a .056 average and a .167 OPS.
His patience has waned (only 9 walks so far, compared to 20 by this time last year), and for now, his presence in the lineup feels more like a placeholder than a pillar.
The contrast couldn’t be clearer when you look at José Altuve—long the engine of this franchise—who, in 2024, delivered in the moments Walker is now missing. With two outs and runners in scoring position, Altuve hit .275 with an .888 OPS. In late and close situations, he thrived with a .314 average and .854 OPS. That kind of situational excellence is missing from this 2025 squad—but someone else may yet step into that role.
And yet—the Astros are winning. Not because of Walker, but in spite of him.
Houston’s offense, in general, hasn’t lit up the leaderboard. Their team OPS ranks 23rd (.667), their slugging 25th (.357), and they sit just 22nd in runs scored (117). They’re 26th in doubles, a rare place for a team built on gap-to-gap damage.
But where there’s been light, it hasn’t come from the usual spots. Jeremy Peña, often overshadowed in a lineup full of stars, now boasts the team’s highest OPS at .791 (Isaac Paredes is second in OPS) and is flourishing in his new role as the leadoff hitter. Peña’s balance of speed, contact, aggression, and timely power has given Houston a surprising tone-setter at the top.
Even more surprising: four Astros currently have more home runs than Yordan Alvarez.
And then there’s the pitching—Houston’s anchor. The rotation and bullpen have been elite, ranking 5th in ERA (3.23), 1st in WHIP (1.08), and 4th in batting average against (.212). In a season where offense is lagging and clutch hits are rare, the arms have made all the difference.
For now, it’s the unexpected contributors keeping Houston afloat. Peña’s emergence. A rock-solid pitching staff. Role players stepping up in quiet but crucial ways. They’re not dominating, but they’re grinding—and in a sluggish AL West, that may be enough.
Walker still has time to find his swing. He showed some signs of life against Toronto and Detroit. If he does, the Astros could become dangerous. If he doesn’t, the turnaround we’re witnessing will be credited to a new cast of unlikely faces. And maybe, that’s the story that needed to be written.
We have so much more to discuss. 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!
*ChatGPT assisted.
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