Chatting with Will Leitch

So it's time to take a break from the serious baseball chat for a while and see what Will Leitch, head man at Deadspin has to offer up about the Rays, Deadspin, Bill Simmons, ESPN, and asks "You jackin' it?"

1. Carl Crawford : biggest All-Star snub in recent history or just me being a homer?

Will Leitch : Not in recent history ... but yeah, it seems kind of crazy he wasn't there last year. Though I always think he's going to be better in fantasy than he is. I love Carl Crawford. His name sounds someone who would live in Mayberry.

2. Akinori Iwamura was possibly the least heralded Japanese signing since Shinji Mori last year, is this basically the media turning a blind eye to the Rays?

WL : I mean no offense, sir ... but as much as I love to make fun of the media, it's hard to yell at them too much for turning a blind eye to the Rays. I'm actually going to a Devil Rays game in St. Pete for the first time year. I hope I can find tickets.

3. If you have to take one, Kazmir or Liriano?

WL : Kazmir. Not only is he awesome, god, what a great Led Zeppelin song.

4. In your eyes have the Rays began taking the steps toward becoming a succesful small market team?

WL : Actually, yeah. Delmon Young is going to be tremendously fun to watch in every possible way. Unfortunately, you're in that division. I respect anyone who can hang with that team; no matter how many good moves they make, it always seems like they're starting 15 games in the hole.

5. Your favorite Rays related moment (if any)?

WL : Um ... when Jim Morris pitched for you guys? How inspiring. They should make a movie.

6. What was the motivation to begin Deadspin, and where did the name come from?

WL : I honestly do not know where the name came from; it's just easy to say and remember. The inspiration came from seeing how many fun stories there were that seemed to fall through the cracks. I felt like what fans were really talking about wasn't showing up in the mainstream media, whatever that means anymore. I thought there was a market for that. Hopefully, I'm right, but people get a little too carried away about this blog business. Deadspin is hardly taking over anything; blogs are still so small, comparatively speaking.

7. Which of the many, many events that Deadspin has taken a part in / reported on (Carl Monday, the Barbaro raids, the recent Bill Simmons raid, ect.) which do you look back on in astonishment of?

WL : Carl Monday is still my favorite story we've ever ran; it kills me every time I watch that video. As enjoyable as the ESPN commenter raid was, I felt bad for Simmons. I'm a fan of his, and it's a shame he was sort of accidental collateral damage in that whole thing.

8. Knowing that you've given the anti-ESPNers like us a 'home', does it put a smile or at least a small smirk on your face?

WL : I'm from Central Illinois; my upbringing has made it impossible for my face to produce a smirk. (Mostly, just slack-jawed yokelism.) I'm glad there's a place for people to congregate, though. I like that Deadspin feels like a home to people. It should; it's the readers' home a lot more than it is mine.

9. What's your favorite part of doing Deadspin?

WL : Having to only answer to readers. If I screw up, everyone lets me know about it immediately. I have to constantly be on my game. That's challenging and thrilling and awesome. Also, I like working by myself in my apartment; I have considerably fewer boring conversations about the weather.

A huge thanks to Will for agreeing to the interview, and I'd like to announce that I have the honor of writing the D-Rays' season preview for Deadspin, it's truly humbling for me to have this opportunity and I won't let DRB, or the Rays' community down.