Bronx & Beans

Yep...that's a sausage and pepper hero in Fernandez's hands. At Manhattan's San Gennaro festival, the Long Island native has been known to start with a hot sausage hero then cool down with a sweet before he knocks down some zeppoles -- That's the flavor.

He takes the Yankees as seriously as his heroes. There is still dried champagne on his uncle's ceiling in Los Angeles from the 2003 celebration when Aaron Boone hammered a Tim Wakefield knuckleball. At that time while working in L.A., he flew back to New York the day after Boone's home run to watch the World Series with his father -- he called his boss from Kennedy Airport, telling him he needed a week's vacation.

"Hopefully there will be more than 18 games played between the Yankees and the Red Sox this season," Fernandez said. "This is my favorite rivalry and I respect Boston. After all, Rocky Balboa wouldn't have been Rocky Balboa if he didn't have Apollo Creed...that said...I'm not hugging any Sox fans* in the ocean."

* (except for Maria Menounos -- but that's it.)