"The Big G?" Giambi is now talking about himself in the third person

In the Times today, two Giambi quotes:

“Just think, the Big G — a fashion icon.”

“The Big G likes to stir it up."

Uh-oh.

We have here the speech pattern of pro wrestlers, talk show hosts, Richard Nixon and Robert Dole. It's the sign of an overdeveloped left lobe, which would mean time on the disabled list in August.

He's hot now. He's "The Big G." What happens in a slump?

He becomes "The Little G?" No. That's Girardi.

Maybe he becomes "The JayMan," or "Jace the Face."

Normally, we'd make fun of this. But with us now back in the race, and facing the Bubble Rays today, it's critical to know what is happening inside Jason's size 12 head.

In 2001, researchers at the Institute of Psychiatry and GKT School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of London, used functional MRI to examine the functional anatomy of inner speech and different forms of auditory verbal imagery (imagining speech) in volunteers. They hypothesized that generating inner speech and auditory verbal imagery would be associated with left inferior frontal activation, and that generating auditory verbal imagery would involve additional activation in the lateral temporal cortices.

(Note: Keep in mind that Giambi swings from the left side.)

The procedure: Subjects were scanned, while performing inner speech and auditory verbal imagery tasks, using a 1.5 Tesla magnet.

(Note: Giambi cannot hit and talk at the same time.)

Results: "The generation of inner speech was associated with activation in the left inferior frontal/insula region, the left temporo-parietal cortex, right cerebellum and the supplementary motor area."

(Note: Giambi uses the third-person speech, but he does not bat third.)

Conclusions. "These results are consistent with the use of the ‘articulatory loop' during both inner speech and auditory verbal imagery, and the greater engagement of verbal self-monitoring during auditory verbal imagery."

Summary: The Big G better keep hitting, or we're going into The Big Bucket.