Duck Soup Softball

About a month ago, on a warm September day, one of our softball friends asked Eric and I if we wanted to play in a "Duck Soup" softball tournament. Wow...that sounds fun we said! If you've never heard about "Duck Soup" softball, it's a crazy take on softball...new rules for each inning to keep the game fun and exciting! It was actually created right here in Minnesota...but the trend is catching on around the country. The weeks leading up to the tournament were unseasonably warm...but the forecasts kept coming in and it was sounding worse and worse for our Saturday of fun. They were predicting cold and snow...what?...no...couldn't be. Well, look at what we woke up to on the morning of the tournament.

Cold and snow. Yep...we had that all right! Our first game wasn't until 10:45 a.m....thankfully most of the snow melted by then. This tournament is centered around having fun, we were encouraged to show up in costumes....

...but with the cold, we decided that layers and survival were more important than costumes. Don't tell, but I had flannel pants on underneath my lined wind pants....and a T-shirt, and a turtle neck, and my heaviest sweatshirt, and a jacket. I felt like a little kid in a stiff snowsuit....and I'm hoping that if I fall down someone will help me up.

The tournament has crazy rules. The first inning you only get one pitch per batter....it sure speeds the game up! The second inning everyone that batted had to use a wooden bat. Clunk. Takes those fancy metal composite bats right out of the game! The third inning we had to bat opposite handed. It gave me a new respect for switch hitters...I don't think I even had my hands in the right place. But I got a hit! Here is Eric batting left handed....do you like his fancy batting gloves?

We tried to stay warm in between games and innings. A couple of the girls brought snugglies. Aren't snugglies really just robes with the arms on backwards? They looked toasty though! Here is Jesse, Eric, Sarah, Regina and Jen.

The rules got stranger as the game went on. We have to do what? Regina thinks it's funny, Jen N. doesn't look so sure....

We have to pick our positions out of a hat! Oh dear....ha ha...ho ho......oh....and the last out of the inning has to play catcher....and.....

...has to wear the duck hat! Oh boy. Hey Eric, nice hat!

What are they going to think of next? What, we have to run the bases in the reverse order this inning? Kris doesn't look to sure about that.

Jen...you ran the wrong way...you are last out....quack quack.

Here's Erik P....he thinks the whole thing is pretty funny. Especially since he never had to wear the duck hat. Hee hee....neither did I!

But Kris did. I think she's wishing we could have used the offensive "do-over" option for her last out. Nope...sorry....quack.

Peg and Bob are looking sort of serious. What do you mean we get one offensive and one defensive do-over per game? Why didn't you tell us that before?? Your rules are quacked man.

Oh well, as long as they didn't have to wear the duck, they didn't really mind. Jesse...you look good as a duck....

....and Regina...it's just plain wrong that someone can look so cute in a duck hat, wrong I tell you.

Sarah is looking pretty ducky too.

I have to say, in spite of the under 40 degree day, and the snow and the wind, we sure had a lot of fun. Here's our ducky team....the Smoochidumplings.....um....next year maybe we'll have a different name....

....and come up with some costumes. Duck Soup softball tournaments...if you have a chance, give it a try. It'll quack you up! Hee hee. Sorry, my brain is still frozen.