Yankees' shortstop gets some warehouse-style protection

How's this for an image: Derek Jeter encased in Bubble Wrap?

The New York Yankees captain—who is also the "apple" of many female eyes—recently received a custom-made roll of Sealed Air Corp.'s protective wrap, a favorite in warehouses and DCs. Although the shortstop probably didn't actually wrap himself in the bubbly stuff, the manufacturer can rest assured that it has done its part to help keep the Yankees in the win column.

Legend has it that when an athlete appears on the cover of Sports Illustrated, an injury or some adverse event is likely to follow. So when the Yankees' so-called Core Four—Jorge Posada, Mariano Rivera, Andy Pettitte, and Jeter—appeared on the cover of the magazine's May 3 issue, Yankee fans worried that the star players might be jinxed. As it turned out, their fears were justified: just one week later, all but Jeter had been injured.

Emergency action was needed to keep the team captain safe for the upcoming series against the Boston Red Sox, the Yankees' arch-rivals. Sealed Air Business Manager Rohn Schellenberger sprang into action, sending Jeter a specially made roll of Bubble Wrap with a letter suggesting that the roll would "provide the protection you need to keep the jinx from popping the Yankees' hopes of winning its 28th World Series Championship."