>> Meredith: GERRIT, JUSTIN VERLANDER HAS BEEN IN THE LEAGUE FOR 19 YEARS. HOW FAR HIS CAREER, JUST WHAT IMPRESSES YOU THE MOST? >> IT'S GOTTA BE JUST THE COMBINATION OF ALL THE FACTORS THAT HE'S GOT. DURABILITY, POWER, INTELLECT, CREATIVITY. CERTAINLY I THINK DURABILITY IS PROBABLY THE ONE THAT SETS HIM APART THE MOST. HE'S IN THE MID-3,000s IN TERMS OF INNINGS, AROUND & THAT'S PRETTY INCREDIBLE. >> Meredith: HOW DO YOU THINK HE'S DONE ISN'T IT. >> WELL, HE'S DEFINITELY BLESSED. >> David: HE'S GOT PROBABLY THE BIGGEST PITCHER LEGS IN THE LEAGUE AT THIS POINT. SO HE'S ALWAYS HAD A GREAT LOWER HALF AND USED ITALY VERY EFFICIENTLY. HE'S BEEN INJURED SEVERAL TIMES RATHER SERIOUSLY BUT SEEMED TO JUST BE VERY RESILIENT, AND NOT LOSE A BEAT AFTER HE'S COME BACK FROM SOX THOSE UNFORTUNATE EVENTS. >> Meredith: HE'S STILL TOUCHING 97 AT TIMES. IS THAT KIND OF REMARKABLE TO YOU, AS WELL, AND JUST WHAT HAVE YOU THOUGHT OF THE WAY HE'S CONTINUED TO EVOLVE AS A PITCHER? >> YEAH, HE'S ALWAYS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO GET AN EDGE OR GET A LITTLE BIT BETTER. YOU KNOW, HE'S ALWAYS CHOMPING AT THE BIT TO GET BACK OUT THERE. IT DOESN'T SURPRISE ME HE'S STILL HITTING 97. HIS MECHANICS WHEN THEY'RE EFFICIENT ARE EXACTLY REALLY KIND OF WHAT YOU WANT, HE TRANSFERS REALLY WELL FROM THE GROUND, AS LONG AS HIS LEGS ARE STRONG HE'LL BE IN A GOOD SPOT. >> Meredith: YOU WERE CLOSE IN HOUSTON TOGETHER. WHAT STUFF HAVE YOU LEARNED FROM HIM IF ANYTHING? >> I MEAN, JUST -- I LEARNED A LOT ABOUT THE FOUR-SEAM FASTBALL. I LEARNED A LOT ABOUT JUST OTHER ASPECTS OF HIS ROUTINE. AND YOU KNOW, I JUST WILL KIND OF FOREVER BE THANKFUL FOR THOSE TWO YEARS. >> Meredith: YOU WERE THROWING A BULLPEN TODAY, 20 PITCHES. WHAT'S NEXT FOR YOU? >> DAY OFF TOMORROW, AND MAYBE TRY TO GET OF