On a normal evening toward the end of June, four fully grown men walked through the aisles of Wal-Mart shopping for an odd assortment of essentials: pool noodles, Spiderman balls, big bouncy balls and wiffle ball bats. It must have looked like they were preparing for a child's birthday party.

No one would have guessed that it was future Spikes players Donnie Smith, Jason Motte, Adam Morris and Matt Wilkerson.

"I think the first time we went to Wal-Mart for food we got like, peanut butter, no bread, cereal, no milk, no bowls," Motte said.

The quartet of veteran players finally realized their shopping errors when they scavenged their new apartment for any type of meal.

"The only thing we got were those little pizzas. We had about 20 of those little pizzas, and we threw them in the oven, but we didn't even have anything to cook them on so we just threw them in the oven on the little oven grate," Motte said pausing to think for a second. "But we did have the pool noodles and stuff, so it was still pretty good."

One year in the league has taught the four old heads one important lesson -- it's a game, and it was meant to be fun. Like disciples, they are quickly passing the knowledge they gathered in their opening season from previous coaches.

Smith and Motte are the most apparent in their approach, always ready with a joke. The two showcased their comedic talents in a mock interview during a rain delay last week where Smith answered questions playing the role of the obnoxious, headstrong athlete while Motte mocked the role of a nosy reporter. Motte fired away at Smith with questions ranging over Slim Fast as his beverage of choice to the feeling of returning for a second round of single-A ball.

"Dumb and dumber man. I guess we just gelled," Smith said of the one-two joke combo. "We're complete opposites, and opposites attract and in this case, big time. Personality wise, he's a little quieter. He's got a drier sense of humor and I got -- you know -- the other sense of humor, so we appeal to pretty much everybody."

The comedy contrast Smith refers to adds to the overall team chemistry within the clubhouse. Motte waits for the perfect opportunity for a punch line, sometimes so subtle that an unfocused person might not ever pick up on it. Smith is more of a walking punch line. He finds humor in everything, even the way he was the last player in street clothes his start for the July 2 game.

"Aw, I've got plenty of time to get dressed," Smith said with a smile as he remained the only player out of uniform, clad in blue jeans and a pink and green vertically striped shirt just an hour and a half before game time.

"It's probably just the same as me," Motte said of Smith. "We're serious when we've gotta be serious, but we like to have a good time. That's how baseball should be. If you're not having fun then you really shouldn't be doing it anymore."

Watching Motte before the game, it's hard to believe he's having fun anticipating his appearance. Only a cruel dungeon master would tell a man with the liveliness of the Energizer Bunny that he might possibly get to pitch if the situation arises in the late innings.

Two hours prior to game time during a rain delay on June 25, Motte sat on a black leather couch, fully dressed, drumming away at the armrest with his fingers.

"I'm always antsy," Motte said without interrupting his finger drum solo. "I'm always ready to play."

His best friend on the team and roommate, Smith, laughs at that description and shakes his head.

"It's pretty much a joke. Like, 'Hey Motte, did you take your medicine today?' I don't think he really takes medicine, but he's pretty antsy and pretty hyper."

For such a high-strung player, Motte still has an uncanny ability to shake players out of a state of fear or shock at the plate or on the mound. Staying loose has always been a key to his success, and he tries to pass the torch through the clubhouse to share the warmth.

"I try to keep it light and loose," Motte said. "I want people going out focusing on what they have to focus on and not being out there freaking out. Like I said, it's a game, you gotta go out there and do what you do.

"If you're out there nervous and tense, you're not gonna be your best. There's a difference between having butterflies and being nervous and tensed up."

Head coach Mark DeJohn and Wilkerson both said there is a humanizing aspect of joking around and loosening it up that's important to a ball club's chemistry.

"Everyone's coming in from a different part of the country, and everyone's got a little bit different outlook on baseball and life. But there's a common outlook you need to have in pro ball from top to bottom despite your personality. Keeping it loose helps some guys find that a little quicker."

Wilkerson said that while there are typical practical jokes in addition to the seemingly endless banter of jokes coming out of the locker room, DeJohn very rarely disciplines his players for any of their antics.

"He's definitely the ring-leader of keeping it loose," Wilkerson said. "You hear him in there all the time joking around. There's a time and a place and we know that and he knows that. That's part of the older guys leading the charge."

Splitting hairs

The latest trick Motte has tried to implement is the growth of facial hair wherever the organization will possibly allow it.

The St. Louis Cardinals prohibit their players from having any facial hair other than a simple mustache.

During the most recent road trip, the bullpen experimented with the art of the mustache, but the only one to return with a furry lip was Motte.

"The 'stache is coming in quite nicely," he said.

Wilkerson laughed at the idea of growing a mustache and said he was trying to keep the facial hair strictly in the bullpen.

"There's a lot of guys including myself that don't look real good in mustaches," Wilkerson said. "It's funny though cause you'll see guys growing them. But when their girlfriends come to town, they're cutting them off. So they know they're bad. But it's just another thing, it's a long season -- you gotta do stuff like that to keep you sane."

DeJohn scoffed at the idea of his players trying to copy the almost patented mustache that makes him so recognizable.

"Oh, I don't know if they're copying that," DeJohn said of his players, particularly Motte. "I don't care what kind of mustache he's growing, he's not gonna look as good as I do."