Harold Reynolds' photo dispels rumor of a 'fat' Jeter

Derek Jeter apparently had a good laugh after unflattering photos of himself were splashed across the tabloids last week which suggested the New York Yankees star had packed on a few pounds while undergoing recovery from ankle surgery.

The Yankees Captain was even dubbed "Captain Munch" and "Derek Eater."

Jeter, was a guest on Michael Kay's ESPN-NY radio show Monday and made several jokes about the recent photos that led the media to declare that the Yankees shortstop had let himself go.

"I thought it was pretty funny," Jeter said with a laugh.  The funny thing is, a day or two before then, people were telling me that I looked like I lost a lot of weight."

Later in the day, Jeter's buddy Harold Reynolds, the former player and current MLB Network analyst,  offered photographic proof that Jeter hadn't gone to pot by tweeting a photo of himself and Jeter after they had lunch together on Sunday.  The photo shows an actually svelte looking Jeets resembling his old 195-pound self.

Jeter, who had not spoken publicly since having his left ankle surgically repaired in October, told Kay that, after the frumpy fat photos ran, the phone started to ring.

"I had a lot of messages from a lot of different people asking me what I had been doing," he said.

Later in the interview, when he was asked what an athlete with a recovering ankle can do to stay in shape, Jeter joked, "Evidently, I haven't been staying in shape."

At least Reynolds' photo put to rest the perception that the 38-year-old Jeter was turning into a chubby-chaser's dreamboat.  In fact, Jeter — who will be in a walking boot for "another few weeks" —insisted that he will be ready by Opening Day.

"We still have a long way to go before the season starts.  I'll be ready," he said.  "If you think about it, every year when the season is over, you take a few weeks off before you start working out.  Quite honestly, I'm not behind schedule on anything right now."

Start spreading the news, The Captain is back on the market and it isn't Shoprite anymore.

Bobby Valentine gets radio show in Yankees Universe

It didn't take long for Bobby Valentine to get under the skin of New York Yankees fans— once he became the manager of the Boston Red Sox— and now, he'll be buzzing in their ears as well.

ESPN-1050 has signed the outspoken Valentine to do a weekly manager's segment on "The Michael Kay Show."  This will pit Kay— the voice of the YES Network's voice of the Yankees— against the controversial manager of the hated Sox.

If the station hopes to stir things up between the two rivals, they couldn't have picked a better catalyst.  Valentine has already taken shots at a couple of the Yankee players including the face of the Yankees— Derek Jeter.

There may be a segment of the Yankees Universe that will not accept listening to Valentine as a matter of principle.  The Red Sox are despised by New York fans and Valentine's mouthing off, even before managing a single game from the Fenway Park dugout, has made him Bronx Enemy No. 1.

ESPN is hoping— by invading their air space— some of those fans tune in to hear the man they love to hate.

Valentine's arrival at ESPN New York is the first time a manager from other than the Yankees or Mets has signed a contract to make regular appearances on a local sportstalk station.

We'll have to wait and listen to find out if it's a bases-loaded strike or a grand slam for ESPN.  The station does not have radio rights for either the Yankees or the Mets and doesn't  have any well-known baseball personalities under contract.  This hiring changes all that.

Both local managers— the Yankees' Joe Girardi and Terry Collins of the Mets— are signed to WFAN, so ESPN reached out to Valentine as an option.

"The idea of getting Bobby intrigued them," said a source. "And since he already worked for ESPN ("Sunday Night Baseball") a relationship was already established."

The knowledgeable Valentine makes his debut today and some Yankees fans may want to cover their ears when he gives his weekly opinions, but it should make for some good radio.

That first Yankees-Red Sox series could be a doozy.