>> Eric: TWINS ARE HANGING ONTO FIRST PLACE WITH THREE GAMES -- WELL, TWO AND A HALF GAMES REALLY, THEY'VE ALREADY STARTED TONIGHT'S GAME, BEFORE THE ALL-STAR BREAK.

MINNESOTA WILD'S DEVELOPMENT CAMP IS IN FULL SWING AT THE OTHER END OF DOWNTOWN ST. PAUL.

LYNX STARTED 0-6 ND BUT NOW WITH THEIR 4-GAME WINNING EXTREME NOW JUST A GAME BELOW 500.

ALL OF THIS MEANS ONE THING, LARRY FITZGERALD IS ACK.

WHEN HE'S NOT HERE ON THE ALMANAC SET TALKING SPORTS, YOU CAN HEAR LARRY ON THE RADIO AS PART OF THE NATIONAL PROGRAMMING NETWORK.

HEY, THE PITCHING'S GOOD.

>> BEST IN BASEBALL.

>> Eric: ON THE OTHER HAND, OFFENSE.

>> THE STARTING HAS BEEN THE FOUNDATION TO WHERE THE TWINS HAVE BASICALLY BEEN ON THIS RIDE, THEY'VE BEEN IN FIRST PLACE ALL YEAR, THEY'VE HAD A BIGGER LEAD THAN THEY HAVE RIGHT NOW BUT YOU CAN'T ARGUE WITH THE FORMULA THAT THEY ARE TRYING TO USE.

THE PROBLEM THAT THEY'RE HAVING IS THE CONSISTENCY WITH THE LINEUP, THE INJURIES AND THAT TYPE OF THING.

AND THEN TRYING TO MEASURE HOW GOOD THEY TRULY ARE DAY TO DAY WITH THE TEAMS THAT THEY'RE PUTTING OUT THERE AGAINST BALTIMORE, THEY'RE PLAYING THEM THIS WEEKEND.

>> Eric: ROYALS AIN'T MUCH.

>> I MEAN, THEY BEAT THEM 10 OUT OF 11, SO THEY SAY YOU HAVE TO BEAT THE BAD TEAMS FIRST AND THEY CLEARLY ESTABLISHED THAT.

NOW, CAN THEY FIND A WAY TO BEAT THE YANKEES, CAN THEY FIND A WAY TO BEAT TAMPA, CAN THEY FIND A WAY TO BEAT ATLANTA, WHICH THEY LOST ALL THREE GAMES TO THEM DOWN THERE.

ATLANTA LOOKS LIKE THE BEST TEAM RIGHT NOW IN BASEBALL BUT WE GOT A LONG LONG WAY TO GO.

BUT YOU HAVE TO TIP YOUR HAT TO THE TWINS AND THE FACT THAT THEY HAVE BEEN, YOU KNOW, SUSTAINABLE THROUGH THE FOUNDATION OF WHICH THE WAY THEY'VE PUT THEIR STAFF TOGETHER.

AND THEY'RE GETTING, THEY GOT MAEDA BACK AND FIVE, SIX GUYS THEY CAN THROW AT YOU BUT ONLY ONE GUY MADE THE ALL-STAR TEAM AND SO THAT'S A GOOD THING.

>> Eric: OKAY.

>> Cathy: WITH THE DRAFT ARE THE TWINS GOING TO BE BUYERS OR SELLERS?

>> I HOPE THAT THEY GET AGGRESSIVE.

THEY COULD USE ANOTHER BAT IN THAT LINEUP.

THEY STILL STRIKE OUT WAY TOO MUCH, AVERAGING 10, 11 STRIKEOUTS A GAME AND THAT HURTS YOU BECAUSE YOU'RE DEPENDENT ON YOUR PITCHING HOLDING THEIR OPPONENT TO THREE OR LESS RUNS GAME AND YOU JUST CAN'T DO THAT EVERY AME.

BUT I LIKE WHAT I'VE SEEN.

I WAS OUT THERE, YOU KNOW, THIS WEEK I SAW THEM TAKE KANSAS CITY OUT, LOPEZ GETTING HIS FIRST CAREER SHUTOUT, HIS FIRST COMPLETE GAME, AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT SAYS THAT THE VIKING -- TWINS HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY IF THEY CAN KEEP MOVING FORWARD, TO GET TO WHERE THEY WANT TO GO.

>> Eric: ANTHONY EDWARDS WITH THE MAX CONTRACT, NAZ REID SIGNS, WOLVES ROSTER IS PRETTY SET.

>> IF YOU ASK ME THE STRONGEST TEAM IN TOWN, IS IT THE VIKINGS, IS IT THE TWINS -- >> Cathy: IT'S THE AURORA.

>> I'D LIKE TO SAY IT'S THE TIMBERWOLVES.

ABSOLUTELY, ANTHONY EDWARDS IS GOING THIS WAY, THEY HOPE TO HAVE CARL CARL K AR L ANTHONY TOWNS HEALTHY FOR THE WHOLE SEASON.

THAT NAZ REID SIGNING THIS GUY WAS NOT EVEN DRAFTED AND HE'S ONE OF THE BEST PLAYERS IN THE LEAGUE AND HE'S ONLY 22 YEARS OLD.

IF THEY CONTINUE TO ALLOW THESE YOUNG PEOPLE THAT THEY HAVE, THIS NUCLEUS TO GROW TOGETHER WITH EDWARDS BEING THE LEADER THEY'RE GOING TO BE SOMEBODY THAT CAN NOCK AT DENVER'S DOOR AND SAY, HEY, WE CAN PLAY WITH YOU.

>> Cathy: I WAS A LITTLE WORRIED ABOUT THE LYNX EARLY ON BUT THEY'VE PUT TOGETHER A FOUR-GAME WINNING STREAM.

>> YOU KNOW WHAT, CHERYL REEVE, SHE'S A BLESSING, SHE'S ALREADY WON FOUR CHAMPIONSHIPS, WE KNOW ABOUT THAT.

HER WAY TO MANEUVER AND PUT PEOPLE TOGETHER, AND SHE'S DONE THAT.

THIS TEAM, I SAW THEM EARLY AND THOUGHT THEY DON'T HAVE MUCH WHEN YOU LOSE YOUR FIRST SIX.

THE WNBA IS A MUCH STRONGER LEAGUE TODAY THAN IT HAS EVER BEEN.

WE GOT A TEAM RIGHT NOW IN VEGAS THAT'S 15-1, 10 AT HOME AND THEY'RE WINNING BY AVERAGE OF 15 POINTS A GAME.

THE LYNX ARE DEALING WITH THAT BECAUSE THEY PLAY WHO THE SCHEDULE PUTS IN FRONT OF THEM AND TO WIN 8, LOSE 9, STARTING 0-6, CHERYL REEVE UNDERSTANDS WHAT THE DEAL IS AND NAPHEESA COLLIER, SHE IS SOMETHING SPECIAL.

>> Eric: IS THIS MAR UN KID ANY GOOD FOR THE WILD?

>> I THINK HE CAN BE.

I THINK HE CAN BE SOMEONE THAT CAN GROW.

HE'S, WHAT, 6'3"?

>> Eric: HE'S A LOAD.

>> FROM WISCONSIN -- WELL, HE PLAYED IN WISCONSIN BUT FROM MINNESOTA, HE'S ONE OF OURS.

I HOPE THEY CAN PUT THIS TEAM TOGETHER AND BUILD AROUND FROM THE WILD STANDPOINT IMPROVING THE CENTER POSITION AND THEY'VE GOT A LOT OF GUYS NOW, 6 TO 7 PLAYERS COMPETING AT THAT POSITION AND THAT SHOULD HELP THEM BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE THEY'RE THE WEAKEST.

>> Eric: YOU'RE LOOKIN