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Friday, January 14, 2011
Friday news and discussion
I'll be back Monday to catch up on the events of the week and provide details about the coverage plan for the 2011 season.
110 comments:
- Jim Webster said...
The national tragedy in Tucson turns out to have been a tragedy for the baseball family as well. It struck me that we might have crossed paths with John Green if he scouted in Viera. We mostly sat in Sec.109 and Sec.110 right behind a battery of scouts with radar guns. Perhaps NatsJack or others may have met him. See
http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/Baseball-scouts-support-Christina-Taylor-Green-family-at-Tucson-funeral-011311 - January 14, 2011 8:21 AM
- PDowdy83 said...
New blogpost on the value of Utility Players.
- January 14, 2011 8:29 AM
Following on a discussion from yesterday: where is the best place to sit in Nats Park for someone who follows the game closely, keeps score sometimes, and wants to be around knowledgable fans? In my experience the 3B grandstand is terrible. Where should I get my seats?
- January 14, 2011 8:32 AM
- Jim Webster said...
Anon832am try our Sec 313. Right below Mark's perch, inexpensive, and you can see the whole field. Some old regulars around too.
- January 14, 2011 9:16 AM
My best experiences usually occur standing in Right Center field between the red porch and the Miller Lite pavillion. There are always die hard knowledgeable fans swilling beer (I used to be a beer snob but as my taste buds decline with age, Miller and Bud suffice)and complaining about whatever the current issue may be.
- January 14, 2011 9:20 AM
I find anywhere in the "Infield Gallery" section (300 level, between 1st and 3rd base) is the best place to watch a game. I used to have seats in this section at RFK (there it was the 400-level) and at Nats Park and found that not only are the sightlines fantastic for watching and keeping score of the game, but that in general this is where most of the knowledgeable fans sit as well. Alas, financial restraints prohibited me from maintaining my season tickets last season and this season as well.
- January 14, 2011 9:31 AM
Let's see whether I can post without any mishaps this time. We've always tended to put together our own mini-plans, so we've moved about a bit. That said, I do like the Infield Gallery section, as well as the 400 seats above it, to the third base side of the press box. Overall, I tend to be a Veeckian Upper Deckian type (and I do keep score, literally if not metaphorically - okay, that, too, sometimes :-)).
- January 14, 2011 9:55 AM
- PDowdy83 said...
Looks like Jeff Francis is scratched off our list now. He signed with the Royals.
- January 14, 2011 10:00 AM
Another vote for infield gallery. We have a group that shares seats in 310 -- great view of the whole field, direct sight line into the Nats dugout, and, especially valuable in the summer, the seats are in the shade from 2:30 pm or so on.
- January 14, 2011 10:01 AM
So, it looks like our group stumbled onto pretty nice seats. We were really not happy with the seats in left field. I had a hard time tracking the ball and there was no shade on the Sunday games. I am guessing we are going to love our seats in 308 and they were cheaper as well. I will miss moving down into the lower bowl seats after the 2nd or 3rd inning as Nat's Park continued to remain 1/2 full. Has anyone heard about this years Red Carpet Reward plan? That got me a bunch of extra games last year and I can't imagine them not continuing the plan.
- January 14, 2011 10:18 AM
Picking up on DC Tom's Pitcher Pool from Monday:
Pitcher Dead Pool Status
DC Tom: Jeff Francis - Oh, too bad DC Tom
Pay to Play: Rafael Soriano - Sorry P2P
The rest are still in play
Knoxville Nat: Jeremy Bonderman
Sunshine Bobby Carpenter: Jon Rauch
sjm 308: Kevin Millwood
Scooter: Zach Day (still retired)
Constant Reader: Dave Bush
Les in NC: Grant Balfour
JD: Brad Penny
pdowdy83: Chris Young
Anonymous8: Shawn Hill
Anonymous (Field Bet): Carl Pavano
Andrew: Randy Johnson
natsfan1a: Paul Lynde to block
SBrent: Walter Johnson
Luis: Chad Qualls - January 14, 2011 10:23 AM
Now that Francis signed with KC I think that there is no one left who is better than our guys. I would not spend any money on Millwood or Bonderman.
The Soriano contract is nuts; $35 mil for a set up man? This is just the Yankees reacting to the fact that Robertson and Joba failed miserably against Texas and they had a wad of money burning a hole in their pants (Cliff Lee). - January 14, 2011 10:25 AM
One other point that has nothing to do with anything. I am really excited about opening day this year for a couple of reasons. first and its sad this is first, there will be NO PHILLY FANS!! I still remember how upset I was with them booing not only our entire roster but Ryan as he accepted his awards from the previous year. It absolutely ruined what should have been a great beginning to the year. I am ok with us losing the game(not happy but ok) but the idiotic, drunken fans made it a horrible experience. Second reason is my son has moved back to the area and we will attend the game together. Can't get much better then that. His first game was at 18 months, right behind the plate at 3 Rivers vs the Dodgers. 30 years later he is still a huge baseball, Pirates/Nationals fan. sounds difficult but he got to see a great outfield of Bonds, Van Slyke and Bonilla and also got to see the Orioles way back when they were decent.
- January 14, 2011 10:25 AM
- PDowdy83 said...
Ahhh Andy Van Slyke. Talk about a guy who doesn't get talked about enough. Loved watching him play. - January 14, 2011 10:36 AM
I need in on the pool. Ben Sheetz
- January 14, 2011 10:39 AM
The Soriano contract illustrates just how good Scott Boras is. Seriously. Dude is the best at his craft.
- January 14, 2011 10:41 AM
What makes the Soriano contract even more insane is that according to reports it has an opt-out clause at every season. So it's essentially a three year contract if he underperforms (and thus has no reason to opt out). If Rivera gets hurt or retires and Soriano is lights-out in the closer role, he has the Yankees over a barrel.
I like Cashman as a GM - he's really remade the Yankee farm system into a top system; they have a lot of young pitching talent right now. I even understand why they signed Soriano - it lenthens their bullpen, which may come in handy if their young pitchers struggle, rests a 41yo closer and provides an apprentice to the master (Rivera). But I do not understand why they signed this particular contract. - January 14, 2011 10:50 AM
Just a reminder on the poll front. There's one guy who has yet to find a sponsor:
:-) - January 14, 2011 10:52 AM
John C.
Because they could not go through the whole off season without making one splash signing. It's in their DNA. - January 14, 2011 11:04 AM
- PDowdy83 said...
Natsfan1a, I would vote for the midget he had in the Boston clubhouse before voting for Pedro lol.
- January 14, 2011 11:09 AM
I can't believe I missed the pitcher pool. Is it too late to get in on that? I'm taking Miss Iowa himself on a Minor League deal and a ST invite.
- January 14, 2011 11:21 AM
- SonnyG10 said...
I just read the article on Stephen Strasburg's rehab progress on the Nats web site. When he's healthy again I wonder if he will still throw his change-up pitch, since that's what blew out his elbow.
- January 14, 2011 11:23 AM
Better to have JD Martin, Matt Chico, Ross Detwiler, Erik Arneson, Sharon Mairtis or even Craig Stammen than Bonderman or Millwood.
- January 14, 2011 11:26 AM
NO, a big NO to Millwood. At this point beef up the bullpen and good Hairston.
- January 14, 2011 11:48 AM
Sunderland said...
The Soriano contract illustrates just how good Scott Boras is. Seriously. Dude is the best at his craft.
S - I agree with you. That is crazier than paying Werth in comparison. Soriano was maybe worth 2 years at $8 million per season and nobody would have paid close to that so however Boras got the Yankees to pony up, kudos to them and just glad the Whites Sox didn't get him.
I think the Yankees needed to make some kind of splash in Free Agency and that is the best they could do besides overpaying their own players.
Who is taking Nick Johnson, Cristian Guzman, and Willie Harris? Anyone hearing anything?
Also, what is the word on who Rizzo took off the 40 man? - January 14, 2011 11:53 AM
SonnyG10 said...
"I just read the article on Stephen Strasburg's rehab progress on the Nats web site. When he's healthy again I wonder if he will still throw his change-up pitch, since that's what blew out his elbow."
Why not?
A change-up doesn't put any more stress on the elbow than a fastball. Both pitches are delivered with the same arm/hand motion and speed. It's the grip on the ball that makes a pitch a change-up. - January 14, 2011 11:56 AM
Just to clarify, I picked Millwood just to play DC Tom's game. He was certainly not my first choice but was someone left and I desperately want to win the lunch.
I actually like the choice of Miss Iowa, I think he could actually help us, unlike the rest of what is out there. I also vote for beefing up the bullpen and letting the group we have at present dual it out in Vierra. - January 14, 2011 12:16 PM
- Luis said...
I'm interested to see if LaRoche picks to wear #22 now that Wee-Willie will no longer be a Nat.
- January 14, 2011 12:23 PM
scratch Brad Penny off the "still in play". He signed with the Tigers the other day.
Put me down for John Maine. What the heck. - January 14, 2011 12:30 PM
I'll go contrary (yeah, yeah, the shock is killing you...) in the pool--nobody, they're done, and will add an infielder not named Willie Harris.
- January 14, 2011 12:34 PM
Sounds like Rizzo followed Mark's lead and took the week off, as Francis, Bloomquist, Soriano and Balfour agreed to deals with other teams.
In my opinion, Francis was the biggest missed opportunity. He's a groundball pitcher (Rizzo's wet dream) and a lefty, who's already proven that he's recovered from his injuries (pitched 100 innings last year).
As it stands now, of the 9 potential SPs next year, only Lannan and Detwiler are left-handed. That leaves us with the potential to have a very righty-heavy rotation, and it Lanna falters again, a potentially only righty rotation.
Francis put up three very good seasons from 2005-07, before getting injured and missing parts of 2008 and all of 2009. His numbers are very similar to Lannan's except, that while Lannan's numbers tend to overstate his case, Francis' numbers conversely understate his talent. He also has better strikeout tallies and lower walk rates, which indicate less likelihood of a meltdown like Lannan's first half of 2010.
Perhaps there is more to his injury than it appears, but it seems as if Rizzo really missed the boat with this one, especially when he only cost $2mil. I'm personally not confident with our rotation as it currently stands. Livan will regress quite a bit, but hopefully not back to his 2008-09 level (6.08 and 5.44 ERA). Hopefully, Marquis will improve, but even so, he'll still never be a good SP. Hopefully, Lannan will pitch like he did in 2007-09 and not like last season. Hopefully, Maya and Detwiler will prove to be capable major leaguers. Hopefully, Zimmermann will emerge as a key piece in our rotation of the future. But that's a lot of questions. There isn't a single pitcher that is guaranteed to put up solid numbers next year. As such, Rizzo should hedge this risk by giving himself as many options as possible. - January 14, 2011 12:38 PM
- PDowdy83 said...
Will, if you were a free agent pitcher trying to re-establish your career would you go to a team where you will have to compete with pitchers (Wang, Detwiler, Maya, Stammen) or go to a team where you are guaranteed to get innings. Kansas City's pitching stay is even worse than ours and Francis could very well be their opening day starter if he is healthy.
There is no proof we didn't try to match the $2MM that Francis got, sometimes it just isn't going to fall your way. This off season has been a huge reminder of that for us Nats fans.
Did you honestly want Willie Bloomquist on our roster to begin with? He has around a .650 OPS every season and isn't really that good of a fielder. Jerry Hairston is a much better option if we have to sign a utility player. He carriers about the same speed as Bloomquist, plays better defense and has hit 10 HRs each of the last 2 seasons. Even more impressive is he has been on contending teams while Bloomquist has been putting up bad numbers in a low pressure situation like KC.
There is no way we could have matched a 3 year $35MM deal for Soriano and the A's overshot Balfour's worth too. He has had 2 good seasons with a bad one in between them. He also would have cost us our 3rd round pick. He isn't a closer and is not much better than the options in house. If they are going to spend around $4MM or more on a reliever go get Fuentes who doesn't cost a pick. - January 14, 2011 12:46 PM
Miguel Batsita just signed with the Cardinals.
Are there any free agent pitchers that have fathers or uncles that once played in MLB? This seems to be Rizzo's MO -- Werth's uncle, LaRoche's father. Jerry Hairston rumors too. I think he wants a competitive fathers/sons game as a promotion in '11.
I also note that when I woke up this morning, food tasted better and the air smelled fresher knowing that Willie Harris was not going to be playing for the Nats in '11. Go get Hairston -- he actually has the ABILITY to play multiple positions and just may make contact occasionally when runners are on base. - January 14, 2011 1:01 PM
It just came to me that Mark Grudzielanek could fill the infield spare part job if he's still interested in playing major league baseball.
- January 14, 2011 1:09 PM
Luis said...
I'm interested to see if LaRoche picks to wear #22 now that Wee-Willie will no longer be a Nat.
Earlier today, Bill Ladson tweeted that Storen will wear #22.
http://twitter.com/washingnats - January 14, 2011 1:15 PM
Whn you look at it from the Nats standpoint (298 losses) the Soriano contract is nuts but when you are "one player away" as the Yankees are it makes perfect sense, you take away the Rays best bullpen guy, you negate any bullpen the Red Sux have, that is enough to win the division. Cashman in no dummy he is a student of history and remembers that the Wetteland-Rivera combo is what made the Yankees great so now Rivera-Soriano will be great if not greater than that, well worth the money given their circumstances.
- January 14, 2011 1:17 PM
@Will: Rizzo is on vacation, because he didn't sign everyone in sight this week? Seriously, do you really think the Nats need another relief pitcher (Balfour)? Who would cost them $8 million a 2nd round draft pick besides? Do you really think the Nationals should have gotten a different relief pitcher and matched the idiotic contract the Yankees gave Soriano? Oh, perhaps he should have thrown piles of money at a marginal starter recovering from injury? That would be Francis, who pitched barely more than 100 IP last year, had an 8-16 record over the last three years AND an ERA over 5.00 that isn't a Coors Field Effect - his ERA was higher (5.15) on the road than at home! He would have had to throw money, too, because the Royals offer a better chance at starting - after the Greinke trade their pitching is starting to look like the National's "y'all come try out" staff of 2007. The Nationals would have to bid higher to pay Francis for the uncertainty.
The problem with "stockpiling options" is that every time you sign on of these guys you have to cut someone else, potentially losing them to another team. The salary cost is really only a secondary consideration at this point. The Nats still have to cut someone to get LaRoche on board, so look at the 40 man roster and think of the next two guys you'd want to get rid of. All that, and Francis just isn't that great an option (if he was, he'd have been signed last Fall).
Just because another team signs someone doesn't mean the Nationals "lost out." The reflexive "something happened somewhere and therefore the Nats must have messed up" reaction is not only old, it's just getting kinda dumb.
Oh, and if Willie Bloomquist is the answer, it was a mighty stupid question - January 14, 2011 1:18 PM
Considering the Nats history with pitchers, injurywise and unsuccessful rehabwise, if I was a pitcher I'd be pretty hesitant about coming to Washington, too.
- January 14, 2011 1:19 PM
@ ballinonabudget -
Storen changed arlier in the offseason from 58 to 25 so my guess Laoche is going to wear 25 as h did in Arizona. - January 14, 2011 1:19 PM
Is there going to be a Hot Stove event or a Fanfest this year? I thought they were in January last year.
- January 14, 2011 1:44 PM
What do you guys think of Johnny Damon to play left field for a couple of years until Harper comes up? (for about $5mil a year).
I wouldn't mind a professional OBP hitter batting 1st or 2nd for us; the only drawback is that this would certainly take away at bats from Mike Morse. In case you are wondering; I am not at all sold on Bernadina as an everyday player. - January 14, 2011 1:52 PM
300 level behind homeplate 312, 313, 314 are the best spots to watch a game from.
- January 14, 2011 1:53 PM
Nats in Beantown 11:21--- I'd take Miss Iowa over Captain Morgan. They both threw out "first pitches" that evening. She did much better; Morgan bounced his, maybe he had had too much of his product.
- January 14, 2011 1:55 PM
I'll have what John C. is having.
- January 14, 2011 1:57 PM
- PDowdy83 said...
JD, Johnny Damon goes against the point of getting more athletic and the emphasis on fielding. Damon played in a grand total of 37 games last year in the field. He also was not productive with the bat either. Roger Bernadina hit more HR, stole more bases and drove in only 5 runs less than Damon. He also did all of that while getting roughly 150 LESS at bats than Damon. Not to mention he is a far superior defender, over a decade younger and far more cost effective.
With all that said I don't know if Bernie is the real answer in LF but I am pretty positive Damon is not a better option. Not to mention Morse will see playing time out there as well hopefully. - January 14, 2011 2:01 PM
If we sign Damon to play left field, and use Nyjer in center field, then I could play right field and we'd have the 3 worst arms in all of MLB in our outfield!
***John C, very nice post*** - January 14, 2011 2:11 PM
- Luis said...
Thanks Ballinonabudget. I just signed up for Twitter. Finally.
- January 14, 2011 2:18 PM
Peyton, Sunderland,
You are probably right; I was just trying to envision someone better than Bernadina in left field; in fact I would probably be content if Morse was the everyday guy. - January 14, 2011 2:29 PM
@NatsinBeantown: That would be Diet Coke :)
- January 14, 2011 2:37 PM
They oughta get that Italian kid from the San Francisco waterfront who dates that idiot actress Marilyn whatshername.
- January 14, 2011 2:43 PM
- SonnyG10 said...
N. Cognito, Hope you are right, but I read somewhere that the circle change, which Strawsburg throws, puts a screwball type torque on the arm which gives it the down and to the right drop. It is a great pitch in his arsenal so I hope he can keep it.
- January 14, 2011 3:26 PM
Anonymous said...
"Is there going to be a Hot Stove event or a Fanfest this year? I thought they were in January last year."
March 30th according to JD and other blogs.
As far as the change-up, I was only comparing a straight change to a fastball. - January 14, 2011 4:04 PM
- JaneB said...
Does it count in the pool to say we sign NO starting pitchers, and go with who we have? That's what I hope.
We are in 131, down low. Wish we were one chunk closer to home plate, bit we blew that when we opted for seats higher up the first year of Nats Stadium.. But what I love about these seats is you feel the game, you hear it, you see the pitching from a cool angle. When we had the fancy seats with the free food in that "gift" they gave the STHers, I found out how much I loved our regular seats, if only because you are down in it. Smart people around us too.
Finally. I am feeling a heart pang that we didn't keep Batista. Bad decision on Rizzo's part, I think...he was a work horse for us. But I'm glad the Cards got him, since they are my third team. - January 14, 2011 4:56 PM
Finally. I am feeling a heart pang that we didn't keep Batista. Bad decision on Rizzo's part, I think...he was a work horse for us. But I'm glad the Cards got him, since they are my third team.
Again, it appears that job belongs now to Livan Hernandez. Both as a spot starter and long reliever Livo looks like he will be far more effective. Whether he begins as a starter or not eventually he will end up in this role and that is probably where he fits best. - January 14, 2011 5:31 PM
Link Appleyard, I hear that the guy's brother hits the ball and makes it go. :-)
- January 14, 2011 5:40 PM
peric, *again*, you're making a huge assumption that Livo is gonna be relegated to the bullpen. That ain't gonna happen this year. We need innings from our starters. Livo hurls innings. Livo's contract has incentives for starts and innings. They're not going to screw him by limiting his starts and innings.
- January 14, 2011 5:50 PM
The Mets must hate Willie Harris! But not enough to keep them from signing him, so he's moving to Queens. Watch him make some of those amazing game-saving catches against us...that will hurt.
- January 14, 2011 5:53 PM
FWIW, JaneB, I'd prefer we had Batista also.
Poor Rizzo though has to keep us to a 40 man roster, and it's tough deciding who to whack. Losing Batista is pretty well defined; you know what you have and are giving up. Losing one of the younger guys is a bit blurrier. Martin, Martis, Atilano, Detwiler, Stammen. These are the kinds of guys you'd have to be willing to give up to keep a Batista or a Peralta.
Drafting and signing Strasburg and Harper is the easy part of Rizzo's job. These smaller, lesser decisions are the tougher ones. - January 14, 2011 5:55 PM
I ain't the first one to voice this opinion, but I can't wait for the Willie Harris standing ovation his first game back at NatsTown.
- January 14, 2011 5:57 PM
Again, the question for me is: Who caught the DFA / Outright release to make room for LaRoche? [Let it be Mock, let it be Mock, Please let it be Mock].
TWP had Gene Wang as the by-line for the presser summary; Kilgore is apparently MIA. - January 14, 2011 6:27 PM
I will gladly applaud Willie when he returns. He left us with some great memories.
I will also applaud when Willie strikes out and returns to the dugout. He left us with some other memories too...
Interesting how many of us are up in the Infield gallery section. I like 310 as well. Out of the sun, on top of the action, a view down the right field line, and right next to Robert in 311--the man who will gladly let you know who is "now pitching, for your Washington Nationals..." I swear there is more personality in the upper levels of this stadium than in most other ballparks I've been to. - January 14, 2011 6:29 PM
"TWP had Gene Wang as the by-line for the presser summary; Kilgore is apparently MIA."
Maybe Kilgore is DFA. Goodness knows he's not at a spelling bee. - January 14, 2011 7:01 PM
So Robert is Announcer Guy's name? I've been running into him since my days in the 400 level at RFK. At first you think he's just some wack job, but actually he's a serious fan of the game. He's not just doing schtick, he wants to get it right. I've seen him scoop stadium announcer Jerome on announcing double switches. One time he noticed I was listening to the game on a transistor radio, so he asked me to tell him when they mentioned the attendance so he could get it down on his scorecard. (This was after they quit announcing the attendance on the big screen late in the game.)
But by far my favorite Announcer Guy moment of all was the time he stood up before a game late in the season and said "Ladies and Gentlemen. The Washington Nationals can still win the wild card. We're still in the hunt!" When he sat down, I pointed out to him that mathematically the Nats could still win the division. He says back to me "I ain't goin' that far." - January 14, 2011 7:13 PM
I don't know about you, John C. or Peyton Dowdy, but I would much rather have Jeff Francis over any of Brian Broderick, Luis Atilano, JD Martin, or Justin Maxwell, who all remain on the 40 man roster.
Neither of the 4 mentioned players have proven that they're even adequate major leaguers. If you would like to argue otherwise, then best of luck with that.
I don't think I've ever said Willie Bloomquist was the solution to our problems, but he would address a hole we currently have- that of another utility infielder. Espinosa is a huge question mark. After all, he hit .214 last season, in what was considered a successful first stint in the majors. What if Desmond or, god forbid, Zimmerman misses a month or two to injury. Who fills their place? You might be comfortable with a 5 man infield, but I defy you to find another team that has started a season with only 5 players capable of playing the infield.
Bloomquist, Harris or whoever are capable utility guys, whose job it is to fill in wen necessary. We currently don't have that type of player. If you think we're ok just fielding a team of 24 players, think again. We still need another batter. - January 14, 2011 7:20 PM
This team isn't doing much just now, but others are. Zambrano is apparently still a fan favorite:
3 - January 14, 2011 7:40 PM
@Will: Luis Atilano and J.D. Martin can give you the same thing that Francis would give you - a handful of starts with an ERA around 5.00. The difference is that Francis is older and has an injury history. In addition, it's not uncommon for a veteran to have a provision in his contract that, if the player is not on the club's 25 man roster, gives the player the option of becoming a free agent. Atilano and Martin don't have that issue. Broderick is a Rule V guy with some potential as well. Maxwell ...
Oh heck, I can't think of anything for Maxwell, except that the wife of a friend of mine thinks that he is an adonis. He doesn't do anything for me, and I'm kind of hoping that he's let go to make room for LaRoche.
I totally agree about the need for a utility infielder; I'm just rooting for the Nationals to sign Hairston :) - January 14, 2011 11:04 PM
- Dave said...
I'm sorry to join in this thread so late in the day. If Mark has put up another automatic post-of-the-day for Saturday, I may have missed the whole discussion.
But anyway, a couple of thoughts:
As a long-time (going into my third year) STH in 313, I can heartily recommend it as the best seat in the house. Several of us score every at-bat (I score each and every pitch), and we can usually hear all the pressbox announcements from the official scorer and the team media guys as if they were intended for us. I'm in the middle of row D. Come on by and say hello!
I am puzzled and a bit dismayed to note that the FanFest this year is on Wednesday, March 30. If there is some method in the Nats' madness at putting this thing in the middle of the week, I cannot see it. I won't be there, having to work as I do, but it better be pretty dern good to move it off a weekend day.
And finally, Bob Adams, the scorer-announcer guy in 310, is one of the great features of the Infield Gallery. If anybody has ever seen his scoresheet, it is rather unique. I think he basically writes out prose descriptions of what happens, rather than using some kind of pictorial shorthand like most of us use. Nevertheless, he can tell you every important play. And yes, he very often knows what's going on with a defensive change long before the PA announcer and scoreboard operator do.
Of course, the Nats Park scoreboard operation sucks big time, even after three years in the park, so it wouldn't take much to exceed that. But Bob does, anyway.
Infield Gallery forever! - January 14, 2011 11:11 PM
Dave - I've opined about the stunningly poor scoreboard operation often. Hard to figure how a major league operation is so far off the mark.
- January 15, 2011 7:17 AM
I got a phone message yesterday morning from what I presume to be a ticket sales rep saying that he'd like to talk to me about resolving "issues with my account" that could improve my Nats park experience. (He helpfully gave me his "direct line" at the "front office".)
As I don't have an "account" - they got my number because I bought the four game bundle to get into the Strasburg debut - I assume that the only "issue" is that there were so few households who bought tickets last year that they can personally call all of us. That said, I'm curious if A) anyone else got one of these calls and B) if so, whether they had a better offer than what the website offers the general public. - January 15, 2011 9:35 AM
Under the telemarketing law that went into effect several years ago, companies are not allowed to make those annoying phone calls to random people like they used to do all the time. They can only call existing customers. This is probably why the Nats telemarketer went to pains to mention "your account". You have bought tickets from the team in the past, and in that sense you are an existing customer. You have an account with the team. You're not just some rando they're calling up and annoying.
- January 15, 2011 10:35 AM
Career ERAs for prospective Nats starters:
Lannan 4.10 3.95
Wang 4.16 3.28
Martin 4.32 3.41
Hernandez 4.39 4.35
Marquis 4.56 4.18
Zimmermann 4.71 2.60
Detwiler 4.74 3.79
Chico 4.95 3.75
Stammen 5.12 3.75
Atilano 5.15 3.93
Mock 5.17 4.09
Martis 5.33 4.01
Maya 5.88 3.38
My only point is this:
When everyone here throws out names to be excluded
from the 40 man, JD Martin gets thrown in the pile with all the other "refuse". He's a more effective pitcher than that.
Livan's minor stats are from when he was 22 or less, and that was what? Last century?
The name that sticks out to me as just better than mediocre at every level...is Jason Marquis. But we always pencil him in as a given starter, and throw JD Martin in the compost pile.
Give him a break. - January 15, 2011 11:02 AM
Another_Sam said...
"Dave - I've opined about the stunningly poor scoreboard operation often. Hard to figure how a major league operation is so far off the mark."
I tend to agree with you, but are they really that bad, at least compared to other ballparks? I have no idea. Still, they should be better.
Maybe the problem is more to do with the scoreboard interface or the scoreboard software/hardware. - January 15, 2011 11:23 AM
Bet you a Guinness that anon 1/15 at 11:02 is Peric
- January 15, 2011 12:12 PM
- Dave said...
@N.Cognito:"I tend to agree with you, but are they really that bad, at least compared to other ballparks? I have no idea. Still, they should be better."
Yes, they really are that bad. The pitch count is very often not updated when a reliever comes into the game. About every other game, batter's statistics are not updated until well into the count--if at all. In short, one cannot count on looking at the Nats Park scoreboard to get an accurate account of the status of the game. - January 15, 2011 12:21 PM
No. Anon at 11:02 is not Peric.
Send the Guiness to JD Martin in Syracuse.
Go Terps! - January 15, 2011 1:07 PM
I agree with Jim Webster and Dave about section 313. We sat in front of Jim in row E 1 and 2, until we retired to Fl. Great seats and fans, lousy beer selection then, hopefull that is improved.
Temp is rising quickly in central Fl.
See you all shortly. - January 15, 2011 1:18 PM
peric, *again*, you're making a huge assumption that Livo is gonna be relegated to the bullpen. That ain't gonna happen this year. We need innings from our starters. Livo hurls innings. Livo's contract has incentives for starts and innings. They're not going to screw him by limiting his starts and innings.
If you listen carefully to Rizzo he never mentions Livo first when he speaks about starters. He is usually an after thought? He is pretty consistent when he speaks of Zimmermann, Maya, and Marquis. Then Lannan. Mentions Detwiler ... then Livo.
I rather doubt Livo's contract has any of the incentives you mention. Remember, he had a minor league contract last year. It sounds to me like Sunderland is again blowing smoke. - January 15, 2011 1:48 PM
Rizzo also prominently mentione Wang. If Wang, Zimmermann, Maya, Marquis, Detwiler, Lannan (just for starters pun intended) where do you put Livo in the bullpen? As the innings eater coming out of the bullpen. - January 15, 2011 1:50 PM
Again, the question for me is: Who caught the DFA / Outright release to make room for LaRoche? [Let it be Mock, let it be Mock, Please let it be Mock].
@BinM, Kigore is apparently on vacation like the Zuckermans. However, Tracee Hamilton has been seen at Nats park for the Nats introduction of LaRoche along with Gene.
At this point you have to assume Rizzo may be working a trade to open the spot. Let's hope he succeeds and its a good one.
Given Mock's potential I think he will still be there for ST 2011 but it will be his last if he doesn't produce. You could see a DFA before the season starts. - January 15, 2011 1:54 PM
No anon @ 11:02 is not @peric,
But I entirely agree with him.
JD Martin is a huge competitor. Its really why he is still in the mix and Rizzo can't relegate this soft-tosser to the trash heap.
What JD Martin needs to do is learn the multi-speed curve and some of the other pitches in Maya's and Livo's repertoire. He clearly needs another pitch or two to get consistently past the sixty inning. Best thing he could is to learn Spanish and start talking to Livo, Maya, and Pudge about how this might be managed. - January 15, 2011 2:03 PM
Big trade could be brewing ... Zambrano? Shields? who? - January 15, 2011 2:04 PM
Since I spent the time, here are some Nats minor leaguers with their career ERAs. The thought being that I'm sick of hearing about the potential of pitchers with +5.00 ERAs, might as well talk about some guys who actually HAVE produced, albeit at lower levels.
Alanis 3.08
Milone 2.98
Wilkie 2.91
Clegg 2.85
Severino 2.77
Meyers 2.72
Wort 2.53
Rosenbaum 2.19
Terps 48, Villanova 40 early second half! - January 15, 2011 2:23 PM
- LoveDaNats said...
So, I guess the Mets don't hate Willie Harris all THAT much.......... :)
- January 15, 2011 2:34 PM
I came up to the computer because the Terps are breaking my heart once again. I love how Martin battles and feel he should get another chance this year. I am guessing he will start in Syr. but might be the first call-up if something goes wrong. Guinness will be on me but it can't be at Nationals Park. We finally score after Villanova goes on a 19-0 run.
Go Nats &
Go Terps - January 15, 2011 2:59 PM
Wondering what people think of Natsfest being on a Wednesday afternoon March 30 this year. I am pretty annoyed by it and likely will not attend unless it is at night. Most of us that have day jobs are going to have to take a day off from work the next day to attend Opening Day, and those of us going to spring training also need time off from work for that as well in March. Employers, no matter how undersanding, have their limits for granting leave. Kids are going to have to play hookey from school two straight days to go to Natsfest and Opening Day. It also seems contrary to the point of an off-season gathering -- to get the fans some baseball experences in the dead of winter.
This is a disappointment. - January 15, 2011 3:02 PM
So, who might the Nats being working with to hook up and
get trade-wise?
Jimmy Shields?
Carlos Zambrano or blocked Ryan Dempster?
CJ Wilson?
Tim Hudson (far fetched I know)?
Matt Cain (far fetched I know)?
Jared Weaver (Boras client)?
Wandy Rodriguez?
Chad Billingsley?
Cole Hamels (far fetched I know)?
Chris Carpenter?
Joe Blanton?
??? - January 15, 2011 4:01 PM
It is surprising, the date of Nats Fest this year, and I am not sure what kind of crowd they could hope to expect. Hard to believe this was a decision made on trying to increase interest in the team. STH that are not retired will be hard pressed to attend on back to back afternoons, and even if it is late in the afternoon it will be hard to bring kids. I don't have those issues, being retired, but surely the Nationals are not marketing toward my age group. This will probably be fun but I question the date and timing as well. It was fun last year sitting in our new seats out in the snow before heading in to listen to the experts and attendance was actually pretty strong. Am betting this year, not so much.
- January 15, 2011 4:15 PM
- JaneB said...
Anonymi at 2:04 and 3:02, more info please. WE are in the midst of a big deal trade? WHere are you seeing this and more to the point, WHAT are you seeing? I'm supposed to be focused on a writing project and...I'm not.
- January 15, 2011 4:31 PM
Anonymi at 2:04 and 3:02, more info please. WE are in the midst of a big deal trade? WHere are you seeing this and more to the point, WHAT are you seeing?
And so too are many other teams vying for exactly the same thing. The sense of impending comes from the fact the Nats have not announced who they removed from the 40-man for LaRoche.
The point is there are still lots of possibilities. Have to wait for the drama to unfold before pronouncing judgement. - January 15, 2011 4:49 PM
Anon 2:04, aka peric is borrowing from a post I made this morning on NJ, pasted below.
There's nothing to suggest a trade is immenent. It's just one of the option Rizzo has to explore as he works to clear space on the 40 man roster.
The LaRoche signing is official, and we have to make room for him on the roster. Looks to me like it became official on 1/7/2011, and we would have had to DFA someone that day.
When a team DFA's a player, they then have a 10 day period to decide what they're doing with him. During the first 7 of those days they can place the player on waivers, typically done in the hopes that he clears waivers and he can be assigned to a minor league club. (If, like in the case of JMax, he has no options left, he'd have to accept the assignment.)
Also during the 10 day period the player can be traded. So perhaps Rizzo is trying to work out a trade. This trade doesn't necessarily need to involve the specific played that was DFA'd, because if the trade opens up a roster spot, then the player can be returned to the 40 man roster.
So, Monday the 17th, we should know what's going on with the roster. - January 15, 2011 8:49 PM
- Jim Webster said...
FWIW, interesting piece on Strasburg in San Diego Union today: http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2011/jan/15/baseball-will-wait-strasburg-take-ahold/
- January 15, 2011 8:51 PM
- JaneB said...
NY Times says Yanks will let Joba go. He could be so much better out if Bew York, I think. I want him for us.
- January 15, 2011 8:55 PM
peric, you seriously believe Livo is working for roughly $1M and does not have incentives that will earn him more.
And that Rizzo is intending to use him out of the pen with spot starts. - January 15, 2011 8:59 PM
BTW peric, it's hilarious that you agree with me on NJ that a trade is a possibility (although I think it's slim), that you then borrow that and bring it here, and then hit me with "Sunderland's blowing smoke again".
- January 15, 2011 9:05 PM
Not everyone who's anonymous is Peric....jeesh.
- January 15, 2011 10:28 PM
It's been so long since we've seen green grass and heard an umpire yell "Play ball" and we've quelled so much of our own bathwater that some have forgotten how wretched this staff is, and who the ace is: Livan. (Long sentence due to iPad.)
I'm talked out. I'm ready for "Play ball." - January 16, 2011 7:53 AM
quaffed. tykpo. iPad corrected, i guess.
- January 16, 2011 9:50 AM
- JaneB said...
Thanks Sunderland. I guess Mark will come back to a Piece of News on Monday. Man, I was reduced to talking baseball to my DOG, this time last year. Thank goodness for you all.
She misses Adam Dunn, too, by the way. - January 16, 2011 10:33 AM
Twitter feed from Ken Rosenthal:
Source: #Rangers offered Thome more than $4M. So, Thome turned down at least $1M to re-sign with #Twins for 1 yr, $3M. #MLB
So players even turn down the AL Champs offering more money! - January 16, 2011 10:55 AM
And many who are anonymous could be @sunderland ... or even BinM?
- January 16, 2011 12:41 PM
@ Your Pedantic Editor: I suppose Another Sam could have meant "swilled".
- January 16, 2011 12:44 PM
I'm a bit mystified about the March 30 NatFest date, as well. A Saturday in January was so much more convenient for fans, especially those of us who work and for kids that have to be in school during the week. This is one of a number of public relations mis-steps the Nats have made that result in lost opportunties to stir up some fan excitement during the offseason. Top on my list is the lack of a downtown or mall-based Nats team store. That concept served the O's well for many years -- the Nats need to upgrade their community and fan outreach if they're going to increase ticket sales.
- January 16, 2011 12:51 PM
Tracking back a bit, but here's what I think the Nationals would hope for from the current 'starting rotation'...
Livo = 34GS, 210+IP, 1.40WHIP, 4.40ERA.
JZimm = 25GS, 160IP, 1.36WHIP, 4.20ERA.
Lannan = 32GS, 190+IP, 1.38WHIP, 4.25ERA.
Marquis = 32GS, 185+IP, 1.45WHIP, 4.60ERA.
Maya = 22GS, 130+IP, 1.46WHIP, 4.90ERA.
Detwiler = 17GS, 120+IP, 1.50WHIP, 4.75ERA.
Should one (or more) of the 'top-six' falter, then you look toward Wang, and whoever survives Spring Training (Atilano, Broderick, Martin, Martis, Mock), or one of the NRI arms for help. - January 16, 2011 1:12 PM
BinM - care to venture a guess on wins for each of those young men?
Thanks to everyone for keeping this moving, its great to come up every so often and read more baseball. - January 16, 2011 2:40 PM
@sjm: Wins can be arbitrary by their nature; Starting Pitchers lose a 2-hit 1-0 game, but win a 8-6, 12-hit game. That's part of why they play 162 games.
Having said that, I'd venture the following W-L numbers for the current staff, as I've projected...
Livo = 10-15
JZimm = 9-5
Lannan = 13-11
Marquis = 9-13
Maya = 6-7
Detwler = 3-6
That's a 49-57 overall from projected starting pitchers, leaving 56 games to be decided by the bullpen, or 'others' on the staff. - January 16, 2011 3:14 PM
Tracking back a bit, but here's what I think the Nationals would hope for from the current 'starting rotation'...
Livo = 34GS, 210+IP, 1.40WHIP, 4.40ERA.
JZimm = 25GS, 160IP, 1.36WHIP, 4.20ERA.
Lannan = 32GS, 190+IP, 1.38WHIP, 4.25ERA.
Marquis = 32GS, 185+IP, 1.45WHIP, 4.60ERA.
Maya = 22GS, 130+IP, 1.46WHIP, 4.90ERA.
Detwiler = 17GS, 120+IP, 1.50WHIP, 4.75ERA.
I just read Patrick's quotes from Rizzo and Ladson's video on the starting rotation. Ladson starts with Lannan and never mentions Livo. Rizzo barely mentions him as well. IMHO, he is your fireman, your innings eater, the guy you call if one of the above falters. If I had to guess I would put money on Marquis. And one has to wonder if Wang will ever pitch again?
Rizzo also stated that Garret Mock will be competing for a spot in the
rotation in spring training.
Mock = 7GS, 56+IP, 1.54WHIP, 4.82 ERA.
That said let's switch 'em.
Lannan = (in the last 3 years 21, 19, 12) QS, WAR 0.3
Mock = (4 -> 0 QS), 0.0 WAR
JZimm = (6 -> 2 QS), -0.2 WAR
Maya = QS 0, -0.2 WAR
Detwiler = QS 1, -0.4 WAR
Marquis = QS (21 -> 5) (career high of 21 in 2009), WAR -1.3
Wang = QS 0, WAR -2.1 (in the last year he pitched).
Livo = International Rescue, Rescue 1. WAR 3.4, QS 22.
Strasburg = 6 QS in 12 games, WAR 1.6 [Injured]
Although QS is a stat that isn't considered as important for some ex-pitcher pundits I believe it should be the one to use to measure the rotation's improvement in 2011. You can't put it all on Stras or Livo
for that matter. The other SP's clearly have to start pulling their own weight. - January 16, 2011 3:29 PM
Anon @3:29: If your're going to build a starting staff off of just Wins Above Replacements (WAR), you're playing fantasy baseball. Pumping QS (Quality Starts) numbers into that just confuses the issue, imo.
If you want to use QS as a quantifying number for the Starting five, fine. Then it's Livo (22/33QS), Lannan (12/25QS), Marquis (5/13QS), Atilano (5/16QS), & JZimm (2/7QS), followed by JD Martin (2/9QS), Detwiler (1/5QS), and Maya (0/5QS), or Mock (0/1QS).
WAR might shift things a little, but I'd still guess that Livo, Lannan, Marquis & JZimm would end up as the top-four available for 2011. - January 16, 2011 4:09 PM
peric, you think Rizzo does not mention Livo since he's planning on using him out of the pen.
I think Rizzo does not mention Livo because the "context" is about improving the rotation. Rizzo is discussing how even though he is frustrated by being unable to acquire a solid SP this offseason, he still thinks we'll be improved.
Because Lannan will be improved, Marquis will be improved, Zimmermann, Detwiler, Maya, Wang.
See, **in context** there's no reason to mention Livo since Livo was excellent last year. - January 16, 2011 4:52 PM
See, **in context** there's no reason to mention Livo since Livo was excellent last year.
I'm not sure I agree Sunderland. He spoke of Garrett Mock and JD Martin in the same sentence/paragraph. He spoke of Mock competing for a rotation slot (even though he is terrible and has been ... so much so that BinM keep hoping they DFA him) yet JD Martin he does not mention him for a rotation slot even though he too is recovered from surgery.
Bottom Lining IT: Rizzo like many here does not believe in "soft-tossers". Its why I keep expecting Lannan to be packaged in a trade. Rizzo does not like soft-tossers as starters nor as relievers in the bullpen. The exceptions are excellent sinker ball pitchers ... and perhaps Livo because of his multi-speed curves. NONETHELESS, Rizzo appears to have made it clear that he wants only power pitchers in his rotation ... or at the very least NO SOFT TOSSERS allowing only for rare special exceptions. - January 16, 2011 7:48 PM
WAR might shift things a little, but I'd still guess that Livo, Lannan, Marquis & JZimm would end up as the top-four available for 2011.
This might come true. But I would have to guess Maya will end up far ahead of Marquis and Lannan. Lannan and Livo (along with JD Martin and Tom Milone) are soft tossers with fast balls that top out under 89 MPH. Rizzo appears to share the same revulsion for this type of pitcher that many here do.
For Rizzo clearly the best scenario given the current state of the rotation would be for JZimmnn, Mock, Detwiler to pitch 125-140 innings. Then Maya and Marquis with 140+. After that Wang (if available and effective). As soft tossers Rizzo probably envisions both LIvo and Lannan at the end of rotation used only if the others on the list falter and fail. Stammen, Atilano and Martin probably fall in this category as well. There is also Martis.
They must all still win their jobs. No one should have a guaranteed spot in the rotation as did happen last year much to everyone's chagrin. - January 16, 2011 8:29 PM


text: English is a difficult language to learn because of its many obscure grammatical rules, which are fairly easy to mess up--even for native speakers. While it's easy for non-native speakers to get overwhelmed by confusing grammar rules, in this course, we'll provide you with tips that will help you understand the rules more easily and give you lots of practice with the tricky grammar of everyday English. Please note that the free version of this class gives you access to all of the instructional videos and handouts. The peer feedback and quizzes are only available in the paid version.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Friday, June 25, 2010
Spaghetti alla Carbonara for Real
I remember posting a ceviche recipe years ago, which had some diced mango mixed in. I received at least a dozen emails from Peruvian readers, not suggesting, but demanding that I change the name.
Their point was simple; true ceviche never features mango. My point was equally straightforward; mine does. So, while I normally don't worry too much about such matters, sometimes I do enjoy demonstrating a recipe in its original form, simply because I find it interesting.
Here I'm doing a spaghetti alla carbonara, as the recipe was made before people started "cheating," and started adding cream. Spaghetti alla carbonara's "creamy" sauce is simply a thin egg and cheese custard, spiked with pork and black pepper. People add cream because they're afraid of scrambling the eggs. But, if you follow the steps in the video, this will not be an issue.
By the way, there are many theories for where the name "carbonara" comes from. The one I officially endorse is that the name was inspired by the specks of black pepper in the sauce, which look like particles of charcoal. It just makes the most sense.
Speaking of authentic, try and find some pancetta or guanciale, which is cured like pancetta, but made from pork cheek. Those two products are not smoked, which works much better in this delicious pasta. Enjoy!
Ingredients for 2 portions:
6-8 oz dry spaghetti (or any pasta)
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 oz pancetta, guanciale, or in a pinch, a mildy smoked bacon
fresh coarsely ground black pepper
2 eggs
about 3/4 cup grated Italian cheese (a half Pecorino Romano and half Parmigiano-Reggiano blend is perfect)
View the complete recipe
73 comments:
So is the egg still considered raw when serving?
- June 25, 2010 at 2:51 PM
- Kelly said...
Yum. I think we follow a similar recipe although I use homemade bacon for mine rather than pancetta. I personally like mine without cream better, I think you get a richer flavor that way. I'm generally not a stickler about authenticity. I like knowing what is authentic, but often still put my own twist on things.
- June 25, 2010 at 3:04 PM
IS milleaccendini ONE OF YOUR SOURCES FOR RECIPES??
- June 25, 2010 at 3:07 PM
- Chef John said...
haven't heard of milleaccendini. who are they?
- June 25, 2010 at 3:09 PM
- Chef John said...
No, the hot pasta "cooks" the egg and thickens the sauce
- June 25, 2010 at 3:11 PM
- Unknown said...
Wow, this is exactly the way I used to make it...! Only with more easily available ingredients like gouda cheese and bacon (I am not Italian). I always thought the eggs are raw, but this pasta is so delicious that I just never cared. More power to you for pointing out they aren't!
For some reason I always wanted to put more black pepper into it. I have no idea, but it's just not complete without black pepper. Now I know I'm not the only one without that opinion! - June 25, 2010 at 3:41 PM
- Damiano Zerneri said...
I'm from Italy, and I can only say that your carbonara version is correct. No cream, only eggs (many people use yolks), pecorino/parmesan, pancetta, fresh ground blabk pepper and some pasta water to make the sauce smooth and creamy. That's it.
As you said, the original original version of carbonara requires guanciale, but it's not easy to find, also here in Italy . I mean, in the northern part of Italy - in Rome or Lazio or Umbria, for example, is much easier. - June 25, 2010 at 5:57 PM
Hi Chef--I'm a bit confused as I thought (from my northern italian family background) that an authentic carbonara used egg yolks and not whole eggs (as if its a emulsion made hollandaise). Is that correct or is whole eggs the way to go?
- June 25, 2010 at 7:09 PM
This looks absolutely fabulous and I'm definitely making it for tonight's dinner.
A question on pasta preparation: Alton Brown insists that you should never make pasta in less than a gallon of water, which should be at a boil before dropping the pasta in. However, I recently read an article by science-geek food guru Harold McGee in the New York Times (I think) that suggests that rather than bringing the water to the boil first, that you just dump the pasta in with the water cold and when it comes to a boil the pasta is ready.
The reason, if I recall correctly, is that you can save considerable energy by McGee's method.
I've tried it and it seems to work for me, but I'm not a pasta fanatic and may be missing some subtlety that others might pick up on.
Any opinions? - June 25, 2010 at 7:31 PM
- Chef John said...
if it's not broke don't fix it... My grandma boiled water, salted it and cooked the pasta. So, what's how I do it.
- June 25, 2010 at 8:38 PM
- Chef John said...
no, whole eggs are the most authentic
- June 25, 2010 at 8:39 PM
- Oliver James Spicer said...
Hey Chef John - Just wanted to say thank you for dinner tonight! .We used this recipe and the triple chocolate cookies (that's exactly how they do it in Rome, so I hear :S)
Please keep these types of recipes coming as your basic tomato sauce and the creamier version of it are now staples :)
Hope you are well and thank you so much for the great recipes!
Ollie and Cat, Sheffield UK - June 25, 2010 at 9:26 PM
- Chef John said...
- June 25, 2010 at 10:18 PM
- Matthew said...
I love your pasta recipes, but given that the sauce has raw eggs, is the pasta best to be eaten right away?
I'm planning to make a whole pot tomorrow ~_~ - June 26, 2010 at 1:37 AM
- Chef John said...
not sure I understand the question. the eggs are not raw. they cook in the hot pasta.
- June 26, 2010 at 1:52 AM
- Noelle said...
THANK YOU chef john, for posting such a good recipe and sticking to the authentic version! its what makes all the difference :]
- June 26, 2010 at 2:21 AM
- tonkaslim said...
Is prosciutto a reasonable substitute for this? The pancetta looks a little too fatty for my taste.
- June 26, 2010 at 9:27 AM
- Kir said...
I saw few recipes in which you gradually whisk like half a cup of pasta water into egg-cheese mixture and then pour it on pasta. Which way is better?
- June 26, 2010 at 12:59 PM
- Chef John said...
pancetta would love, just don't cook to much.
Kir, that way for that one, and this way for this one. - June 26, 2010 at 1:28 PM
- Amy Lynn said...
Made this last night - it was very good. I added a chopped onion to the pancetta to give it a little kick.
- June 26, 2010 at 1:28 PM
As I mentioned above, I prepared this last night and I think we have a new favorite quick pasta dish. I'd done Carbonara before but I think it was with cream.
You're definitely right about bacon -- it's just a bit too smoky and kind of takes over so I need to find a source for guanciale, which shouldn't be too hard since San Diego's Little Italy is not far away.
I slightly botched things and the egg partially scrambled on me -- any suggestions on preventing that? Maybe adding the pasta a little wetter? Your suggestions would be appreciated. - June 26, 2010 at 3:45 PM
- Chef John said...
Not sure, other than maybe pour the eggs in a little quicker and stir like crazy. Maybe a bit more pasta water?
- June 26, 2010 at 4:23 PM
- coupland said...
I made this recipe for dinner tonight -- with a home-made spinach pasta -- and it came out GREAT! Very forgiving recipe too because I made it for 4 but only eyeballed the quantities. After all, I would have had to DOUBLE the ingredients and that feels too much like MATH. :P
- June 27, 2010 at 6:10 PM
- Artsygal said...
I've got to stop reading your blog late at night. I'm NOT making a dish of this at 9:30 at night. It is however on the menu for either lunch or dinner tomorrow. Of course in the podunk little town I live in my only choice is bacon, and not a particularly spectacular one - very fatty. Watching you pour olive oil over the bacon makes me cringe a little - since my bacon is so fatty and gives off quite a bit of oil as it cooks, can I just omit the olive oil?
- June 28, 2010 at 12:21 AM
- Chef John said...
Sure, or drain the excess bacon fat and use olive oil so it's not to smoky
- June 28, 2010 at 1:38 AM
- Artsygal said...
Oh my... This was dinner last night as I'd mentioned it would be. I trimmed as much fat off the bacon as I could (the dog was VERY happy with her treat) and then followed your instructions. Let's pretend I didn't set out to make 2 servings so I could see how it reheated when I ate the rest for lunch today, since regretfully none of it survived once I took my first taste. I can't believe a sauce that rich and creamy isn't laden with butter and cream!
Next time I have to cook for a crowd, they're getting a big dish of this with a fresh salad and some crusty garlic bread to sop up the sauce. Cheap, fast and impressive! Thank you! - June 29, 2010 at 12:36 PM
- Lauren said...
Great how-to video! It's good to know a tasty, traditional carbonara doesn't rely on cream for that covetable silky sauce. I'm looking forward to making this soon!
Oh, and the story behind how the dish got its name is really interesting. Thanks for sharing :) - June 29, 2010 at 9:58 PM
I doubled the amounts to feed 4. Unfortunately I got egg soup instead of creamy sauce :(. Too much pasta water. I used about 1 3/4 cups H2O.
Live and learn. - June 30, 2010 at 3:41 AM
- coupland said...
Don, it sounds like you didn't have enough latent heat in your pan/pasta. 4 eggs should be more than enough to thicken 1 3/4 cups of water. I doubled the recipe too and it came out thick, with only 3 eggs. Okay, so I didn't technically double it, but it fed 4.
- July 1, 2010 at 10:00 AM
- Unknown said...
This was great! I was a little uneasy about the raw egg but no problems. A word to the wise however, it's not the kind of meal that you want to microwave leftovers the next day.
- July 5, 2010 at 8:43 PM
This is almost the same way I have been making Carbonara for many years (and I am not even Italian ;-). Instead of adding the water to the bacon I temper the eggs with it and then mix it with the pasta and bacon. I usually add a bit of garlic, too.
- July 6, 2010 at 12:30 PM
- Unknown said...
Hello Chef John!
I am so happy you put your version of Pasta Carbonara on Foodwishes.com. I had asked for your rendition a long time ago and knew you would get to it eventually.
Not only am I happy but my family and friends are thrilled because I will make spaghetti carbonara on a more regular basis because I now have a more rounded view of this classic dish.
You are, in my opinion, one of the best out there. And what makes your blog so amazing is that you are approachable and do not have the giant ego so many of the other big name chefs have. You are inspiring a lot of cooking school grads besides me and I thank you very much.
Jim H. - July 9, 2010 at 10:54 PM
- Chef John said...
Thanks Jim! I love what I do and hope it shows.
- July 9, 2010 at 11:01 PM
- Red said...
This was a lovely recipe, John; I was going to make alfredo tonight, but wanted a less-wintery type pasta for our hot summer night. I remembered I'd bookmarked this when I saw it come across the feed.
I ended up adding steak (we had some we needed to use ASAP) and using TJ's romano/parm mix...my egg mixture didn't run as well as yours did, though :( I don't know what the difference was. - July 19, 2010 at 10:52 PM
Me and my girlfriend tried this one recently and it was gorgeous. She never wanted to make carbonara before because of the cream content, but this egg trick works perfectly and tastes totally authentic. We have tried both smoked bacon and unsmoked pancetta. Actually, the bacon was best but I do agree with the Chef that the smokiness can be slightly overpowering.
Yet another simple and successful Chef John delight. Cheers from the UK! - July 20, 2010 at 1:30 PM
- Unknown said...
Definitely the original recipe! Very informative video.
- September 18, 2010 at 7:28 PM
- AClumsySheep said...
thats just how we do it at home, can't beat that recipe!
- January 5, 2011 at 7:39 AM
- Psyrixx said...
Going to give this a try tonight with your aioli garlic bread and broccoli salad. :)
- January 5, 2011 at 6:35 PM
- Jokerellone said...
Finally someone that make the original carbonara italian style without creamy sauces!!!
5 STAR Chef!!!
Ben fatto (well done) from Italy ;D - February 1, 2011 at 10:20 AM
Wow, I make a variation of this pretty often and I had no idea it was actually related to carbonara. Learn something new every day--thanks Chef John! :D
About the bacon: what I do is what Julia Child suggests, namely "blanche in simmering water to remove its smoky taste. If this were not done the whole dish would taste of bacon." A little extra labor, but it makes a difference. - March 3, 2011 at 7:41 PM
Hi Chef John!
I made this last night and it was BRILLIANT! I always thought making pasta carbonara was tricky, but it came out perfectly! I sneaked a little garlic in as well, don't tell the Italians!
Thank you soooo much for doing this, also om behalf of my friends who enjoy my dinner parties :-)
Greetings from Holland! - March 22, 2011 at 9:16 AM
- vic vega said...
Hello Chef,
I had my eyes on this one for couple of days. Finally i gave it a go and my eggs totally scrambled. I guess one shouldn't use cast iron skillet for this dish. Even heat was off, skillet was still piping hot. That's why my eggs cooked unshapely I suppose.
And yes, all i smell was bacon. Pancetta is hard to find in Istanbul (which i'm living in btw), so I used simple bacon strips. Next time, i'll try prosciutto.
And one last thing, bacon lose all it's crispiness when soked in paste water (well, d'uh!),.. I prefer a little crispiness in my pasta, a nice little contrast in texture. So next time, i'll add the semi-fried prosciutto when pasta is done. What do you think about that Chef, is it ok to have a little crispiness? - June 12, 2011 at 7:54 AM
- alyssa(: said...
Hi chef. I'm 12 years old and I love to cook. I made a lot of your recipes and they are delicious! I just mad this recipe but I'm mad it meatless and with green onions and sun dried tomatoes. Very delicious! Thanks!
- June 23, 2011 at 1:28 PM
I made this and the eggs got quite scrambled and stuck to the pasta// very dry ewwy taste.. I wonder what I did wrong?
- August 2, 2011 at 5:52 AM
Me too! It came out as scrambled and the pasta was dry! How do you make it into like a sauce? :(
- August 5, 2011 at 7:04 AM
- Chef John said...
Sounds like not enough water, and/or you didnt add enough hot water to the egg mixture before mixing in. Not sure exactly!
- August 5, 2011 at 12:00 PM
Great recipe and excellent cooking technique, Chef! My friend, Steve, cooked and served this dish to some 50 people on several occasions! And on every occasion, he received raved reviews! Thank you so much, Chef John! :D
- August 6, 2011 at 3:33 AM
Fantastic. Mixing the eggs with the cheese is what I wasn't doing, ending up with spaghetti ala omeletta. However, I would disagree with watering the bacon. It tastes much better if you add it on later.
- September 10, 2011 at 12:58 PM
Thank you for this version. I also add a lot of salted butter to the egg mixture (1 whole egg + 2 yolks for 500 gr pasta)....
- November 19, 2011 at 10:23 AM
To those whose eggs became scrambled: This is caused by excess heat. I would suggest you take the pan containing the bacon/pancetta off the fire before adding the pasta and the egg mixture. Then stir continuously until well integrated. Using room temperature eggs helps, as it is the heat of the freshly drained pasta that will cook the egg. I would also combine the cheese with the egg mixture rather than adding it to the pasta afterward. This will result in a creamier consistency.
- January 9, 2012 at 11:21 AM
Wow Chef John, I love your recipes, I am a very accomplished cook but you really make things so easy and imagine, I just discovered your site. I love Italian and Greek food, I am 50-50 of both, live in Greece right now and I am here to stay. Fan forever.
- January 31, 2012 at 2:40 PM
Very tasty, I never had carbonara in my life so I have nothing to compare it to, but I enjoyed both cooking and eating this :)) And so did my family for the later. Thanks!
- February 1, 2012 at 9:24 AM
- bumburusik said...
Hey! Just wanted to say thank you! Finally carbonara recipe that worked out for me.
- February 17, 2012 at 9:43 PM
Incredible! Easy! Quick!
I added halved roasted cocktail-sized tomatoes, delicious! - March 5, 2012 at 12:00 PM
- Roberto said...
I live in Italy and spaghetti carbonara is one of my favorite restaurant dishes. There are many variations of this recipe but your version seems to be essentially identical to those claiming to be "classico italiano". All agree it's Roman; some say it's ancient but most say it's from WWII. Nearly all call for long pasta, guanciale, and Pecorino while prohibiting the use of cream. A few prohibit Parmigiano-Reggiano, but many use a 50/50 mixture as you did. A few versions use short pasta and/or include garlic or Basel, or hot peppers. Some serve the intact egg yolk on top so that the diner can combine it with the pasta, but that strikes me as a bit risky especially if the yoke is served in the half-shell or if the pasta cools off too much.
Most Italian recipes I've found use cheese which is more finely grated than you show in the video and that might help to make a more creamy sauce. Usually the quantity of guanciale is a little more generous, it's normally cut into 1/4 inch cubes, and cooked until crispy. Most also use finely ground pepper rather than course ground you showed, but these are tiny variations in the overall scheme of things and I think you've done everyone a big favor with your very authentic recipe.
Interestingly, a few Italian carbonara recipes don't include any back pepper at all. Last week I had some taglierini (thin tagliatelle) carbonara served in Piemonte (well north of Rome) without any detectable pepper. Some years ago spaghetti carbonara was served to me in Rome and after plating the pasta, it was completely covered with a very generous coating of finely ground black pepper nearly obscuring the pasta itself. It really lived up to the name. Both extreme variations were delicious. - March 17, 2012 at 1:49 AM
- Issa said...
how do I get it to be creamy. In the video it looks creamy but my curdled?????
- April 17, 2012 at 9:27 PM
One word... YUMMY!!! I made it last night for my very picky kids and they devoured it! My husband even did the dishes. This will go into the favorites pile. THanks Chef . Love the blog BTW :-)
- May 10, 2012 at 10:43 AM
- Syl Primeau said...
For you guys having trouble with your eggs, because depending on the type of pan you use it could stay very hot after turning off the flame, instead of putting everything in the pot you just cooked the pancetta in, try putting everything into a separate bowl that is at room temp.
I learned to do this by first whisking the eggs and cheese in a bowl, add pepper, and then adding the cooked bacon and then the wet pasta to the mixture.
The only hot stuff hitting your mixture is the bacon and the hot wet pasta so your eggs shouldn't overcook this way. I've never had a problem. - June 14, 2012 at 10:24 AM
- Cello said...
Thanks for the recipe, it's delicious. I'm just annoyed that my parents want the version with cream *rolls eyes*
- July 4, 2012 at 10:50 AM
- Hope said...
Oh my goodness YES!! This is exactly how my neighbor taught me to make when I lived in Italy and the way I still make it today. For a few years it was hard to find pancetta here but not too hard now. And Chef John, let's face it - this is one dish that, as delightful as American bacon is, it just doesn't work in!
Thank you!! - September 6, 2012 at 3:38 PM
Fast, easy, great tasting, and healthy! Three out of four ain't bad!
I've been wanting to make this one for a while and I'm really glad I did. I used bacon because I was eating alone and it's what I had on hand. Turned out wonderfully, definitely something I will make again!
Thanks for yet another great recipe Chef John! - March 9, 2013 at 6:55 PM
- Urbane Legend said...
This worked for me too, not half an hour ago. No scrambling for me, I'm proud to say. I completely removed the pan from the heat before adding the eggs so that might have helped. And plenty of water - and stir stir stir. Don't let it stop moving until the pasta is coated and creamy.
- March 29, 2013 at 4:38 PM
- Unknown said...
Awesome receipe :)
but Chef, what if in the end I still could see the cooked egg white sticking to the pasta here and there? not enough cheese or is the pan too hot?
thanks :D - May 26, 2013 at 9:35 AM
- Chef John said...
Hard to say, but sounds like you need to beat the eggs more thoroughly so the white combine with the yolks better.
- May 26, 2013 at 11:02 AM
- Unknown said...
Hi Chef John,
Made this easy, delicious recipe for dinner and it turned out marvelous. Just a quick question, if I were to make it for four portions, do I still use 1 cup of pasta water or 2 cups?
Thanks in Advance! Keep Rocking!! - June 26, 2013 at 1:55 AM
- Unknown said...
Hi Chef John,
Made this easy, delicious recipe for dinner and it was scrumptious! Just a quick question, if I were to make this for 4 portions do I still use 1 cup of pasta water or 2 cups?
Thanks in Advance!! Keep Rocking!! - June 26, 2013 at 1:59 AM
- Chef John said...
Theoretically yes, you need 2, but you may need a little less.
- June 26, 2013 at 10:19 AM
- JC said...
I've been using this recipe to make carbonara for dinner a couple of times a month ever since you first posted it but I had to come back and comment today. I actually like the smokey taste that comes with using bacon, so that is my go to meat. Tonight though, I kicked it up several notches by adding a can of smoked scallops to the bacon and pasta before adding the eggs. Oh boy was that amazing! Thanks for posting this simple but tasty recipe that's become a staple for me. I always keep the ingredients for it on hand and can whip it up in no time at all.
A quick question - do you have any suggestions for a good vegetable to pair with my smoked scallop version? I'm trying to make a point to eat my veggies every day and am running out of ideas. - January 18, 2014 at 8:44 PM
- Chef John said...
Asparagus. Thanks!
- January 18, 2014 at 8:51 PM
- Michele Cryan said...
Cheese Crisis.....I looked up the measurements and grated 3/4 cup the italian cheese. I put in with eggs and beat it all together. Than I see you put more cheese in after the goupy cheese/egg/pepper mixiture was added. I think half the cheese was supposed to go in with the 2 eggs and the other half at the end. I'll see how my turns but you may want to clarify that on your measurements.
M - May 6, 2014 at 5:55 PM
- Don Gringo said...
Another home run CJ! Really simple yet flavorful option for a dinner. Not to mention fast and filling! You are a scholar and a true gentleman!
- August 5, 2015 at 8:24 PM
- Unknown said...
I'll definitely be making this again but with HALF the black pepper next time. Confession time--I don't have a pepper mill anymore so I used my Simply Organic ground black pepper. On the All Recipes site it said I was supposed to use 1 tsp w/the egg mixture and 1 tsp in the cooking pancetta (which was really fatty btw--freaked me out a little but it turned out okay after I cooked it a bit more than Chef John probably cooked his much thinner bacon). Again--WAY TOO MUCH pepper. And I used 8 oz of whole wheat angel hair pasta. Miracle of miracles (after reading all the comments here) my egg mixture turned out perfect (not scrambled eggs) except for the overabundance of pepper. Anyhow--just want other people to be aware that using finely pre-ground black pepper in the amounts posted on Allrecipes.com will leave you with an incredibly peppery dish. Watching Chef John's video of this dish for the tenth time (or so), I would say it looks like he might be using 1/2 a tsp in each part of his recipe that calls for pepper. At least it doesn't look like a full tsp to me. Looking fwd to trying this again with a more reasonable amount of pepper. Crossing my fingers this will be edible as leftovers since it's just too peppery for my kiddos (and even my husband--although I'm sure he'll tough it out so he doesn't risk loosing his man card). Ciao Chef--and many thanks!
- February 26, 2016 at 12:33 AM
- Unknown said...
the store had a little kiosk for boar's head goodies, and while i was looking to get a sample of the cheeses, the rep made his way over and asked if i need help. of course, me being the most awkward human being ever, quickly grabbed the nearest package (which happened to be pancetta) and said 'no, thanks!' to avoid interaction and ran out of there. then i remembered CJ has a carbonara recipe and thought, hey, i'll make carbonara for lunch! eating it now as i'm typing and i've never had a better carbonara before. so thank you, boar's head rep, and THANK YOU, chef!
- May 12, 2017 at 4:13 PM


text:
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is one of the most complex, highly developed traditional healing theories in the world, rivaled in its scope only by Ayurveda . Several parts comprise TCM: acupuncture , traditional Chinese herbal medicine , dietary interventions, exercise systems such as Tai Chi and Chi Gung, and theories about architecture and interior decoration known as Feng Shui. Its principles are essentially Taoist in nature and encompass (in principle) every aspect of human existence.
The History of Chinese Medicine
The principles of Chinese medicine developed within the larger sphere of the Taoist religion. Primitive acupuncture needles dating back to around 1000 BC have been discovered in archaeologic finds of the Shan dynasty in China. 1 The theoretical framework underlying the practice of acupuncture was first set forth in the Inner Classic of Medicine , or Nei Jing , first published in 206 BC during the Han dynasty. Chinese herbal medicine , however, developed somewhat later. It received its first rudimentary theoretical foundations in the first or second century AD, but it was not until the 12th century that the deeper principles of Chinese medicine were fully applied to herbal treatment. 2
Chinese medical theories involving diet follow along much the same lines as herbal theory; essentially, each food is an herb and has its own characteristic effects on the body. (A variation of this system known as macrobiotics has become famous.)
The relative importance of the two fields has waxed and waned over time. Herbology reached a state of high development in the 14th and 15th centuries; acupuncture then reached what might be called a golden age under the Ming dynasty in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. Subsequently, herbal medicine gained in importance; by the time acupuncture came back in vogue in 20th-century China, it had undergone a major transformation sometimes called the "herbalization of acupuncture."
The martial arts for which China is famous also developed within the context of Taoism, and therefore follow principles consistent with Chinese medicine. The healing martial art known as Tai Chi is said to have been invented by the monk Chang San-Feng sometime in the Middle Ages; however, the exact dates (and even the existence of this monk) are disputed.
In China today, various aspects of TCM are used along with conventional Western medical treatment. Considerable attempts have been made to subject acupuncture, herbal therapy, and healing martial arts to scientific evaluation; however, most of the published Chinese studies on the subject fall far short of current scientific standards. (For example, they frequently lack a control group.)
In neighboring Japan, a variation of the traditional Chinese herbal system known as Kampo has become extremely popular, and many Kampo remedies have been approved for medical use by the Japanese Health Ministry. The scientific basis for these remedies remains inadequate, but several studies of moderately good quality have been reported.
What Is Traditional Chinese Medicine?
Traditional Chinese medicine is an all-embracing system that, at least in theory, encompasses all aspects of human existence. Even a basic introduction to its principles far exceeds the scope of this article. Consider the following as nothing more than a taste of this vast medical system.
According to the principles of TCM, health exists when the body is balanced and its "energy" is flowing freely. The term "energy" refers to Qi, the life energy that is said to animate the body. The term "balance" refers to the relative factors of yin and yang, the classic Taoist opposing forces of the universe. Yin and yang find their expression in various subsidiary antagonists such as cold vs. heat, dampness vs. dryness, descending vs. ascending, at rest vs. active, and full vs. empty.
In an ideal state, yin and yang in all their forms are perfectly balanced in every part of the body. However, external or internal factors can upset this balance, which then leads to disease. Chinese medical diagnosis and treatment involves identifying the factors that are out of balance and attempting to bring them back into harmony.
Besides yin and yang, there are five elements or phases that can exist in harmony or disharmony. These are translated into English as wood, metal, water, earth, and fire. Each of these elements has characteristic properties and affects various organs, personality, and overall health in unique ways.
It is important to realize that diagnosis according to TCM differs greatly from Western diagnosis. For example, one patient with a migraine headache might be said to have "dryness in the liver and ascending Qi," while another might be diagnosed with "exogenous wind-cold." For this reason, there is no such thing as a TCM remedy for migraines per se; rather, treatment must be individualized to the imbalance determined by traditional theory.
What Is Traditional Chinese Medicine Used for Today?
In theory, TCM can address all possible physical, psychological, and spiritual problems. In the West, it is primarily used to treat long-term chronic conditions (eg, rheumatoid arthritis and menopausal symptoms ), as well as some acute conditions that are not life threatening (such as menstrual pain and colds and flus ). TCM is also widely used to promote wellness and prevent disease.
What Is the Scientific Evidence for Traditional Chinese Medicine?
At present, there is no meaningful scientific evidence that the overarching principles of traditional Chinese medicine reflect true insights into health. There is some evidence, however, that certain TCM therapies may be helpful for specific conditions. Nonetheless, even here there are serious problems. Studies of traditional Chinese medicine performed in China generally fall far short of modern Western standards of scientific rigor. 3,4 Furthermore, even studies performed according to the highest standards have some inherent problems due to the nature of the treatments themselves. For more information, see the articles on Acupuncture , Traditional Chinese Herbal Medicine , Qigong , and Tai Chi .
Safety Issues
Acupuncture appears to be a relatively safe form of medicine as long as it is practiced appropriately. However, there are serious safety concerns regarding traditional Chinese herbal therapy. For more information see the individual articles.
REF1 Acupuncture: A Comprehensive Text. O'Connor J, Bensky D, trans. Seattle: Eastland Press;1985.
REF2 Bensky D, Barolet R. Chinese Herbal Medicines, Formulas, and Strategies . Seattle: Eastland Press;1990.
REF3 Wang G, Mao B, Xiong ZY, et al. The quality of reporting of randomized controlled trials of traditional Chinese medicine: a survey of 13 randomly selected journals from mainland China. Clin Ther. 2007;29:1456-1467.
REF4 Vickers A, Goyal N, Harland R, Rees R. Do certain countries produce only positive results? A systematic review of controlled trials. Control Clin Trials. 1998;19:159-166.


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White House Chief of Staff William Daley is stepping down from his post and will be replaced by Budget Director Jack Lew, NPR's Scott Horsley has confirmed.
The news, first reported by the Los Angeles Times and quickly followed by other news outlets, puts "a veteran staffer of the White House, Capitol Hill and State Department in a critical position at a difficult time for the president" — a reelection year — as the Times says.
Daley became chief of staff one year ago, succeeding Rahm Emanuel (who went on to become mayor of Chicago). Last November, some of Daley's duties were shifted to deputy Pete Rouse.
Daley reportedly submitted his resignation last week.
President Obama is scheduled to make a statement at 3 p.m. ET, and its expected he'll announce the news then. We'll have more as the story develops.
Update at 3:06 p.m. ET. 'Not Easy News To Hear':
Flanked by Daley and Lew, President Obama said Daley tendered his resignation last week.
"This was not easy news to hear," Obama said from the White House's State Dining Room. He said he did not immediately accept Daley's resignation, giving him a couple of days to think about it.
Obama said the lure of Chicago was too great and that Daley wanted to "spend more time with his family, especially his grandchildren."
The president went on to praise Daley, saying he had done "extraordinary work."
"No one has had to make more important decision, more quickly than Bill," Obama said, adding that Lew would take Daley's place.
Update at 2:52 p.m. ET. Daley 'Never Appeared Comfortable':
In its first pass on the story, The Washington Post reports that the table was set for this resignation when reports surfaced last year that Daley had given senior advisor Pete Rouse control of day-to-day operations.
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Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.


text:
I know, I know. A year is waaaay too long to wait between killing.
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So far we have 22 folks signed up. Circle '09 Champ Fred's Brim is thusfar missing, but Circle '10 Champ rbnlaw is in. Circle '11 Champ is, by definition, in. And Dusty Baker is trying to beg out because of a conference next week. Not sure how to react to that, so please help by answering the poll below.
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Senator Jim DeMint Resigns To Head Conservative Group
ResumeRepublican U.S. Sen. Jim DeMint, a favorite among tea party activists, said Thursday he was resigning to take the helm of a conservative national think tank.
The South Carolina politician said in a statement he was stepping down to become president of the Heritage Foundation. His office said he would take the new job effective Jan. 1.
The 61-year-old Republican was first elected to the Senate in 2004. He previously served in the U.S. House for three terms.
"I'm leaving the Senate now, but I'm not leaving the fight. I've decided to join The Heritage Foundation at a time when the conservative movement needs strong leadership in the battle of ideas," DeMint's statement said. His office said DeMint was too busy to come to the phone.
Republican Gov. Nikki Haley gets to appoint his successor to the Senate. She gave no immediate indication who she might choose, or whether she would appoint herself. Haley spokesman Rob Godfrey says the attention should be on DeMint.
"Our state's loss is the Heritage Foundation's gain," Haley said in a statement.
DeMint's former state director, Luke Byars, said the senator's new role would allow him to effect change outside the U.S. Capitol.
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- Rick Klein, senior Washington editor for ABC News. He tweets @rickklein.
This segment aired on December 6, 2012.


text:
The Caltrain corridor has more than 40 grade crossings, every one of which will be eliminated. Grade crossings can be eliminated either by closing them permanently, or by building a grade separation overpass or underpass, similar to the many grade separations that already dot the corridor. Usually, the easiest way to build a grade separation is to keep the railroad tracks at ground level and detour the road over or under the tracks. In some cases, though, detouring the road is not practical because of nearby residential or business frontage, or major roads and intersections.
Those situations are where the railroad tracks must be elevated above or sunk below ground level. Those situations are causing quite a controversy in the communities along the Caltrain corridor, because the HSR project's preference is for cheaper elevated structures.
Getting Trains to Climb
You might think that 125 mph (200 km/h) passenger trains would need very gentle grades and a vertical track profile that is as flat as possible--but you'd be wrong! What determines train safety and comfort is vertical curve radius (at that speed, a minimum of 6 miles or 10 km), and not the steepness of the grade. Powerful high speed passenger trains and modern EMU commuter trains planned by Caltrain can easily climb grades that are very steep by railroad standards, like a whopping 3% (i.e. 3 feet up for every 100 feet along the track). It's the heavy freight trains that have difficulty with those grades, because freight locomotives will start spinning their wheels if they attempt to drag a massive train up such a steep incline. That's why heavy freight trains are typically limited to grades of about 1% (i.e. 1 foot up for every 100 feet along the track). Grades any steeper than that require additional locomotives, shorter trains, and cost more to operate.
Grade Separation: Rail Overpass
When a grade separation is built over a road that cannot be lowered, the railroad tracks must be raised about 20 feet above the level of the road. That includes the clearance for road vehicles, plus the thickness of the bridge deck, plus the height of the rails, as shown in the diagram at right. (Trains go on the top, cars and trucks on the bottom.)
To get the rails up to that height, long sloping approaches are needed on either side of the crossing, forming an elongated hump. If you were to stand close enough to such a hump structure, you would see a retaining wall.
What will heavy freight trains do to the design of a typical grade separation rail overpass? They make the approach ramps much longer and greatly increase the area of the retaining wall that neighbors would have in their back yard, as shown in the figure at left, with the vertical scale greatly exaggerated. Walls block sight lines, are themselves ugly to look at, reduce property values, and can attract graffiti and neighborhood blight.
Compare and contrast a typical 1% rail overpass with a 2.5% rail overpass:
Parameter | 1% Grade | 2.5% Grade | Freight Effect |
Minimum Vertical Radius | 10 km (6 mi) | 10 km (6 mi) | 0% tighter |
Height | 6.1 m (20 ft) | 6.1 m (20 ft) | 0% higher |
Length of Wall > .3 m (1 ft) High | 1250 m (4100 ft) | 870 m (2800 ft) | 44% longer |
Length of Wall > 2.4 m (8 ft) High | 840 m (2750 ft) | 550 m (1800 ft) | 53% longer |
Wall Area | 4200 m2 (45,000 sq ft) | 3000 m2 (32,000 sq ft) | 40% larger |
Fill Volume (75 ft Width) | 125,000 cubic yards (12,500 truckloads) | 90,000 cubic yards (9,000 truckloads) | 40% larger |
Exact values may vary, but the relative percentages will be very close. Smaller walls mean lessened community impact, but heavy freight trains make the walls significantly bigger.
Grade Separation: Rail Underpasses
The other possible option is to sink the rails under the road. When a grade separation is built under a road that cannot be raised, the railroad tracks must be sunk over 30 feet below the level of the road. That includes clearance for trains, high voltage overhead electrification, and the bridge deck. The resulting trench must be dug even deeper than rail level to account for the foundation of the structure.
Once again, to get the rails down into a trench, long sloping approaches are needed on either side of the crossing, forming an elongated sagging profile. Adding a twist, heavy freight trains can be up to three feet taller than regular trains, which requires digging the trench three feet deeper than would otherwise be needed, as shown in the figure at left. On a structure that's 75 feet wide and well over a mile long, that adds up to a lot of extra dirt to remove.
Compare and contrast a typical 1% rail trench underpass with a 2.5% trench underpass:
Parameter | 1% Grade | 2.5% Grade | Freight Effect |
Minimum Vertical Radius | 10 km (6 mi) | 10 km (6 mi) | 0% tighter |
Depth of Trench | 9.8 m (32 ft) | 8.8 m (29 ft) | 10% deeper |
Length of Trench > .3 m (1 ft) Deep | 1850 m (6100 ft) | 1000 m (3400 ft) | 80% longer |
Trench Wall Area | 9300 m2 (100,000 sq ft) | 4600 m2 (50,000 sq ft) | 100% larger |
Excavated Volume (75 ft Width) | 280,000 cubic yards (28,000 truckloads) | 140,000 cubic yards (14,000 truckloads) | 100% larger |
Exact values may vary, but the relative percentages will again be very close.
Heavy freight trains double the amount of excavation needed for a railroad trench underpass. That may be fine with neighbors because the trains would stay even more out of sight, but since a trench is more expensive, an elevated solution will be preferred. That's right: where a wall might not have been required, heavy freight trains could tilt the balance in favor of an elevated wall. The Churchill Avenue crossing in Palo Alto is a great example where this trade-off may occur to the detriment of the neighborhood.
Rise and Fall
Heavy and long freight trains perform poorly on a track profile that rises and falls across each road crossing like a roller-coaster. Such undulating profiles complicate train handling and can cause hazardous slack action. That's why the grade separations in Belmont and San Carlos are built on a continuous elevated embankment that stretches for several miles, simplifying the handling of trains using the primitive manually operated air brake.
In contrast, modern, powerful electric passenger trains with advanced automatic train control systems can glide over these ups and downs without causing their passengers any discomfort. In the manner of an airplane's autopilot, the train's control software automatically adjusts throttle and braking in concert with the vertical profile of the track, which is stored in an on-board database. This capability allows considerably more rise and fall in the vertical profile, which minimizes the extent of elevated structures and thus lessens impact on communities.
Heavy freight trains tolerate very little rise and fall and will increase the impact of elevated grade separations because the stretches between grade separations may stay elevated.
Bridge Columns
On sections of track elevated over roads, or open viaducts to allow community access to both sides of the tracks, trains run on what is effectively a bridge. Bridge design depends on the load that will be carried. A good proxy for this load is the linear mass density of the heaviest train, or how much the train weighs per unit of length.
Parameter | Heavy Freight | Passenger | Freight Effect |
Linear Mass Density | 7,500 kg/m (5,000 lb/ft) | 2,500 kg/m (1,700 lb/ft) | 200% heavier |
Load On a 15 m (50 ft) Span | 113,000 kg (250,000 lb) | 38,000 kg (85,000 lb) | 200% heavier |
While these values are approximate and do vary quite a bit, heavy freight trains can be two to four times as heavy as a passenger train! Throw in the usual factors of safety, and you don't have to be a civil engineer to guess what that does to a bridge design:
- Bigger and/or more concrete columns
- Shorter spans with columns spaced closer together
- Thicker bridge decks
- Costlier construction
Track Maintenance
The interaction of wheel and rail is an arcane subject that mixes black art with cutting-edge research. It is the stuff of academic journals, so we won't venture out of our depth here. Wheel and rail profiles are typically engineered as a system, in order to achieve a balance of cost, wear, fatigue, and noise characteristics. In a nutshell, as quoted from a journal article, "Lines that handle high-speed passenger trains during the day and freight traffic at night represent the most challenging conditions under which to properly maintain rail and track."
Loaded to 30,000 kg per axle (65,000 lb), freight cars can operate with wheel flat spots that measure up to 2 inches in length. The resulting thump-thump-thump is not only loud, but it wreaks havoc on tracks that are carefully aligned for passenger trains.
On the peninsula, passenger trains will always outnumber freight trains, and by a vast margin. Is heavy freight worth the extra track maintenance cost, likely to be borne by the taxpayer? Is it worth the additional noise, especially if so much more track will be elevated?
A Foreign Idea: Light Freight
While it may initially read like it, the foregoing is not a manifesto against freight. Rail is an environmentally friendly way to move freight on the peninsula, and removes trucks from highway 101. The problem isn't freight per se, but heavy freight. It is possible to operate freight trains with much lighter loads and more compact loading profiles. In other countries, such trains are routinely and safely mixed in with high speed passenger train traffic. American manufacturers like GM and GE export hundreds of light freight locomotives to those countries, so it isn't like this would require any development effort. You can pick up the phone today and order yourself a JT42CWRM (photo at right by CargoFighter), made right here in the U.S.A., and hook it up with freight cars that maybe aren't loaded quite all the way to the brim to keep the weight down. This would be more expensive to operate, but may be worth the enormous savings in capital cost (big structures, more concrete), and especially--most importantly--improved urban design and quality of life in the communities along the Caltrain corridor.
There are many ideas about how high speed rail on the peninsula should be "Done Right". For the reasons enumerated above, doing it right means heavy freight should be banished from the peninsula. The benefits are probably not worth the additional cost to communities. Such a ban would probably enjoy little support from the Union Pacific Railroad, Caltrain, and even the California High Speed Rail Authority and its coterie of engineering consultants, whose U.S.-centric cultural inertia may exceed that of even the heaviest freight train. Are they capable of thinking outside the boxcar?