Derek Jeter Rekindling Romance With Minka Kelly

The thought of clomping around the halls of his St. Petersburg mansion all alone this winter must have gotten to Derek Jeter so the New York Yankees star flew down to Miami to meet with his ex-girlfriend actress Minka Kelly and try to patch things up.

According to the New York Post, the Yankees shortstop met with the "Charlie's Angels" star at Morgan's South Beach on Sunday and were spotted "laughing and having a fun breakfast together."

For Jeter, the sight of his sexy ex-flame has to wipe out the final image of the Yankees disappointing season-- Alex Rodriguez striking out against Jose Valverde.

"They met up to try and figure it out," a source told the the Post.  "They are trying to see what the future holds for them.  They may eventually get back together.  This was not some sort of final conversation and meeting between them."

Jeter and Kelly split up in August after three years as a couple.  She was last seen in Yankee Stadium, hanging with his family in a luxury suite, when Jeter got his historic 3,000th hit.

It had been reported that Kelly was getting cozy with her "Charlie's Angels" co-star Ramon Rodriguez-- but that talk has been dismissed by both parties.

"They are simply just friends," the Post reported. "There's nothing beyond that."

Last week, Rodriquez (R-Rod) hastily left before a television interview after a promo on the show mentioned the rumored romance with Kelly.  The show claims, " He didn't want to talk about his co-star and left before his segment was scheduled to air."

Sources told the Post that Jeter and Kelly split because she was spending more time in Miami filming the show while Jeter was battling through a slump and in the middle of the AL East division race.  They insist no other parties played a part in the breakup.

Jeter now has the whole winter to woo back his former-love and might have to hang around south Florida a lot more.

"Charlies Angels" isn't exactly a ratings blockbuster, but it's got better legs than Jorge Posada.

Tigers Jose Valverde on ALDS: "It's Over"

Right after Detroit Tigers Jose Valverde barely shut down a ninth-inning rally by the New York Yankees, the closer couldn't keep his mouth shut and declared the AL division series-- now tied at 1-1-- was "over." Win one game and talk gets cheap... fast.

"It's over already," Valverde told reporters after escaping a Yankees comeback in the pouring rain yesterday.  "[Justin] Verlander has it tomorrow.  The next day we have a celebration in Detroit.  They have a good team, but I think that's it for them."

When told his comments were being recorded by television cameras, Valverde laughed.

"No, no, I am just kidding," he recanted.

Besides producing some prime bulletin board material for the Yankees, Valverde forgot to mention that even if Verlander gets a victory, there is still another game to win in the best-of five series.

Valverde has good reason to be confident.  The Tigers return home and put their 24-game winner Verlander on the mound.

The Yankees will counter with their own big man CC Sabathia but, after that, will go after the Tigers with a fragile and inconsistent A.J. Burnett on Tuesday.

Valverde sure picked a weird time to start bragging.  He almost single-handedly blew Sunday's 5-3 victory by giving up two runs, putting the tying runs on base  and had the dangerous Robinson Cano at the plate as the winning run.

Valverde did everything possible to keep his throwing hand dry in the pouring rain, then got Cano to tap a routine grounder to second in the driving rain for the final out.

Valverde, who was 49-for-49 in save opportunities this season, said he would be ready to pitch Monday night even after using 34 pitches to get the save yesterday.  That was one pitch less than his season high.

After the game, Tigers manager Jim Leyland said that with then tying run at first base, he considered walking Cano to take a shot at struggling Alex Rodriguez, but Valverde wanted to go after Cano.

"No, right there, I wanted to end it," Valverde boasted.  "I said, I'll win it."