♪♪ >> ERIC: THE DOG DAYS OF SUMMER, WHEN TEMPS HEAD FOR THE MID 90S AND MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL HEADS FOR THE MID-SEASON ALL-STAR BREAK.

THE MINNESOTA TWINS HAVE NOT ONE BUT TWO PLAYERS ON THEIR WAY TO THE BIG GAME.

LARRY FITZGERALD IS BACK.

WHEN HE'S NOT VISITING US HERE IN STUDIO B, YOU CAN HEAR HIS RADIO WORK ON THE NATIONAL PROGRAMMING NETWORK.

TWINS ARE FOUR AND A HALF BACK OF THE GUARDIANS, ON PACE TO WIN 92 GAMES WITH A REDUCED PAYROLL.

BUT THEY BUILT THE ROSTER TO HIT HOME RUNS, RIGHT?

>> YEAH.

JUST LIKE THE TEAM THAT SET THE RECORD A FEW YEARS AGO.

THEY'RE THE HOTTEST EAM IN TERMS OF HITTING THE LONG BALL.

THEY HIT A HOMERUN IN 28 STRAIGHT GAMES GOING INTO TONIGHT'S GAME IN SAN FRANCISCO.

I DON'T KNOW IF THE WIND'S BLOWING OUT THERE.

BUT THE TWINS HAVE A WAY OF STEPPING INTO THAT BATTER'S BOX AND ELIMINATING CERTAIN PITCHES AND REALLY GO AFTER IT.

AND JOSE MIRANDA AND CORREA, I LOVE WHAT THEY'RE DOING.

THIS TEAM, THEY'RE IMPRESSING ME MORE AND MORE EVERY DAY.

>> Cathy: YOU -- KNOW, I HAD A CHANCE TO TALK TO DAVE St. PETER ON THE AIR EARLIER THIS WEEK ABOUT THE BALLY SPORTS NORTH COME CAST MESS.

>> IT'S A GOOD STORY.

>> Cathy: TALKED ABOUT JOE MAUER, ALSO A GREAT STORY GOING INTO THE HALL OF FAME IN THE NEXT, WHAT, TWO WEEKS OR SO, SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

>> YEAH.

>> Cathy: WHAT DO YOU WANT TO SAY ABOUT THAT?

AS WE LOOK AT YOUNG JOE MAUER VERSUS NOW GOING TO THE HALL OF FAME?

>> I'M PROUD OF JOE.

HE'S ALWAYS BEEN WHO HE IS.

YOU KNOW, HE'S BEEN MILD MANNERED BUT A SUPER STAR FROM VIRTUALLY DAY ONE.

I MEAN, YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN COVERING SPORTS ALL MY LIFE, AND TO SEE A CATCHER BE, I MEAN, A BATTING CHAMPION, YOU KNOW, AN MVP, TO PLAY LIKE THAT AND THEN TO HAVE SOMETHING HAPPEN PHYSICALLY, WHATEVER, AND THEN THEY CHANGE HIS POSITION.

BUT HE CARRIED THAT TEAM.

HE DID EVERYTHING HE COULD.

I JUST WISH HE COULD HAVE GOT TO PLAY HIS ENTIRE CAREER AT THE DOME.

BECAUSE THAT'S WHEN HE WAS HITTING THE BALL OUT OF THE PARK.

AND THAT TYPE OF THING.

AND, OF COURSE, TARGET FIELD, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT BUILT FOR EVERYBODY TO HIT HOME RUNS.

>> Eric: RIGHT.

>> THEY'RE HITTING THEM OW.

BUT THEY WEREN'T THEN.

BUT I'M SO HAPPY FOR HIM.

YOU KNOW, JOE AND MY SON, LARRY, THEY'RE CO-CHAIRS OF THE 140th U.S.

AMATEUR, WHICH IS GOING TO TAKE PLACE OUT AT HAZELTINE LATER THIS SUMMER, THE 22nd THROUGH THE 29th.

AND, SO, THEY'RE BOTH PLAYING OUT AT THAT CENTURY WORLD AND LAKE TAHOE TODAY.

>> Cathy: NICE.

>> Eric: WHAT DID HE SHOOT?

>> YOU KNOW WHAT, I'VE BEEN WAITING TO CALL LARRY AND FIND OUT.

LARRY'S IN A GROUP WITH JERRY RICE AND THE RECEIVER WITH THE RAIDERS.

I'D SAY, WOW, I WANT TO FIND OUT.

>> Cathy: NO KIDDING.

>> Eric: KAITLIN CLARK BRINGS HER SHOW TO TOWN WITH THE INDIANA FEVER ON SUNDAY AFTERNOON.

WHAT CAN WE EXPECT?

>> I'M EXCITED TO SEE HER PLAY.

I'VE BEEN WATCHING HER GAME GROW.

HER TEAM'S GETTING BETTER BECAUSE SHE HAS FOUND A WAY TO DEAL WITH THE THINGS THAT THEY'RE TRYING TO DO TO HER DEFENSIVELY.

>> Eric: PRETTY PHYSICAL WITH HER.

>> THEY'VE ALL BEEN PHYSICAL WITH HER, THEY'RE ALWAYS TRYING TO GET THE BALL OUT OF HER HANDS AS QUICK AS POSSIBLE.

BUT SHE'S IMPROVED HER GAME, AS FAR AS GETTING THE BALL TO HER TEAMMATES, GETTING IT TO THEM EARLY SO THAT THEY CAN MAKE THEIR MOVES TO THE BASKET.

AND, SO, I JUST WANT TO SEE THE DIFFERENCE WITH MY OWN EYES FROM WHERE SHE WAS WHEN THEY WON THE CHAMPIONSHIP WITH THE BIG TEN, WHEN THE BIG TEN TOURNAMENT WAS IN MINNESOTA AND WHERE SHE IS RIGHT NOW AS SHE TRIES TO GET HER TEAM IN POSITION TO QUALIFY FOR THE PLAYOFFS WITH THE OLYMPIC BREAK COMING UP.

>> Cathy: I WAS GOING TO SAY, THE OLYMPIC BREAK, KARL-ANTHONY TOWNS, RIGHT?

THE WOLVES -- >> Eric: ANTHONY EDWARDS.

>> Cathy: I CAN NEVER GET THOSE TWO TOGETHER.

ANTHONY EDWARDS GOING TO THE OLYMPIC?

>> YEAH, IT'S GOING WELL.

HE'S TALKING A LOT, SO HE'S CONFIDENT WITH THE WAY THEY'RE UTILIZING HIM.

STEVE CURRY IS THEIR COACH, HE'S A WINNER, HE KNOWS WHAT IT TAKES.

HE'S GOT A OT OF TALENT IN HIS HANDS.

BUT THE OLYMPIC DEAL IS DIFFERENT BECAUSE EVERY COUNTRY'S GOT TWO, THREE, FOUR NBA PLAYERS, YOU KNOW?

AND LOOK WHO'S BEEN MVP MOST OF THE LAST FEW YEARS, IT'S AN -- INTERNATIONAL PLAYER SO ONE OF THOSE TEAMS IS GOING TO HAVE SOMEBODY THAT THEY CAN'T STOP.

>> Eric: LOOK OUT WITH FRANCE WITH WINBY.

YOU LOOK FANTASTIC, WHATEVER YOU'RE DOING, KEEP DOING IT.