One of the coolest things about being part of the ever-growing blogosphere is getting to know some truly cool and unique people, people you otherwise would have never met. While we’ve never met face-to-face, I’ve “known” Mike Bates, aka TheCommonMan, for quite some time now. I am not sure if I came to know TCM or his buddy Bill from The Daily Something first, but as they have each grown in stature, it’s been fun to watch. TheCommonMan hails from Madison, Wisconsin, automatically putting him in our good graces.

Needless to say, I’m more than thrilled to welcome TheCommonMan to the roster here at IIATMS.

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I should feel a little nervous. After all, here I am a small town boy walking in amongst all you towering New York Yankee fans. It should be a little intimidating, especially since so many Yankee fans (present company excluded, of course) forget that real, live, big-league baseball is played outside of the Bronx, Queens, and Boston.

But that’s part of the reason I’m here, I guess. Jason asked me if I’d be interested in joining this merry band of scribes and cranks, thinking I would lend some balance as an outsider and perspective on, as Jason put it, “league-wide issues.” What does that mean exactly? Well, hell if I know, but I imagine that we’ll find out together. Whatever it means, it’s clear that I’m needed in this den of Yankeedom, and I’m not afraid of you. I’ll either win you over like Reggie or flame out like Ed Whitson. Either way, isn’t that worth the non-existent price of admission to watch once or twice a week? Even a train wreck has entertainment value, as long as you aren’t on the train.

A couple notes about me. Unlike my new colleague Larry, I am an expert. About everything. And I’m always right, clear thinking, and level headed. Needless to say, my opinions are in no way those of Jason, It’s About the Money Stupid, or the International House of Radio. I also tend to be long-winded, so when I show up, I don’t want to see anybody sneaking out the back before church is ended. I promise to keep the tangents to a minimum and to not waste your time.

I work primarily out of my own site, where I write on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays as The Common Man, and while I’ll use that moniker here, I will drop my normal practice of referring to myself in the 3^rd person. It’s impolite, after all, to talk about yourself in the 3^rd person on someone else’s site if you’re not Rickey Henderson. And we Midwesterners are nothing if not polite. I also blog on Wednesdays at my friend Bill’s site, The Daily Something. And for those of you who grow to love me, you can follow me on Twitter.

In an uncharacteristic moment of sincerity, I would like to thank Jason for the invitation to join It’s About the Money Stupid, which is a terrific site with smart writers and readers. I look forward to adding to the dialogue.

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I’ve told TCM that he’s more than welcome to keep his voice in 3^rd person since that’s his style, his calling card. TCM will be posting every so often, without a set schedule. Any contributions TCM can make will be welcome. And if it’s anything like this one from this past Tuesday, we’re in for a treat!

So raise you glasses and welcome TheCommonMan!