Bleacher Babe of the Month: February, 2013

By - Kris Fletcher

For the past few months, we've had multiple requests to feature one of our own columnists as the Bleacher Babe of the Month. Call me crazy, but I'm thinking people just want to see more pics of our ladies besides the ones in the "Our Team" section.

Can't say that I blame them, though.

Anyway, as the old saying goes, ask and you shall receive. So without further ado, I give you Lauren Dundee!

Photo by: Rachel Freiheit

Hey y'all, I'm Lauren! And I'm really excited to be the Bleacher Babe for February!

A lot of you know me from my weekly columns on the site, but this is going to be a bit different. As many of you are well aware, I am a diehard baseball fan. I live and die by the Boston Red Sox, so if you're a Yankee fan, now might be the time to stop reading.

I grew up a Red Sox fan, and the team has been a part of my life since birth. I remember the names of the greats I followed since as long as I can remember; Wakefield, Pedro, Nom-ah and Tek. They were my heroes.

I've been through it all with them; watching them fail, having my heart straight up broken in 2003, and holding my dad tight at the cemetery with tears streaming down our faces as we placed a 2004 World Series pennant on my grandfather's grave. One of the many who never got to see the Sox win it all.

My first trip to Fenway goes down as probably my favorite memory. The atmosphere, the crowd, the energy. I felt like I was home. It was absolutely amazing.

As cliche as it sounds, baseball really is my life. During the offseason, I barely know what to do with myself as I wait for spring training to roll around. We all know baseball is America's favorite pastime. It's nostalgic for us. We remember warm summer nights with family and friends, hot dogs, and the crack of the bat. We get so close to a team, they become a second family to us. We follow our team through all the ups and downs. We cry when they cry, and celebrate when they celebrate.

Photo by: Rachel Freiheit

Having a favorite player get traded or retire could mean the end of the world. I still remember my dad having to sit my brother and I down, almost like an intervention, and very carefully break it to us that the Sox were trading Nomar Garciaparra.

Baseball and the Red Sox are something I hold very close to me. I take comfort in knowing I can turn on the Sox game and escape my problems for the day. The good news is, there is only 58 days until baseball's regular season gets underway, but who's counting? :)

Photo by: Rachel Freiheit

Until next time, take care!