FORT MYERS, Fla. -- The Twins were taking part in their daily Good Morning America drill one morning last week when third baseman Mike Lamb charged forward to field a ground ball on the grass -- and slipped.

It was a moment that produced its share of chuckles from all the other infielders. But there was one person who seemed to take a little more enjoyment from the moment than the others, shortstop Adam Everett.

"I was like, 'Man, glad that was him and not me,'" Everett said with a laugh. "It's like having him here takes the pressure off me in more ways than just one."

If there was anyone who could get away with the extra chuckles, it's Everett. The two newcomers, who are set to make up the left side of the Twins' infield this season, may be unfamiliar to those in the organization, but they are quite well acquainted with one another.

Before they both signed with Minnesota this offseason, Lamb and Everett spent the past four years together as members of the Astros organization. And over that time, they developed a relationship that extends beyond being long-time teammates.

They're sort of like ... well, banter buddies.

"We mess with each other a lot, and that's what makes it great," Everett said. "He keeps me loose and I irritate him. A lot of times it's a perfect combination."

Between Everett's dry sense of humor and Lamb's sarcastic wit, there is quite a bit of entertainment provided by the two in the clubhouse on a daily basis.

Considering their closeness, it seems almost fitting that two players' journey to the Twins is also somewhat interwoven. The club signed Lamb and Everett on back-to-back days in December.

Everett was the first to join the club, inking a one-year, $2.8 million deal with the Twins on Dec. 13, the day after the Astros had non-tendered him.

The shortstop said he had no idea that Minnesota was in the mix for Lamb, too. Everett text-messaged all of his former Astros teammates shortly after he signed with the Twins, but he didn't hear from Lamb until the following day when he got the following text: "Hello, teammate."

"When I first saw Adam signed with the Twins, I was kind of 50-50 about it," Lamb said with a noticeable hint of sarcasm. "I was like, 'Cool, I know somebody I like, but oh man, now I've got to put up with his antics all year.'"

The relationship between the two players goes back much longer than their time in Houston. Lamb and Everett were teammates in the Arizona Fall League back in 1999. They bonded during those few weeks and said they maintained a casual acquaintance, catching up every time their paths crossed.

That included when the two played against each other in 2000 in the Triple-A Pacific Coast League. At the time, Lamb was a part of the Rangers organization and playing at Oklahoma City, while Everett was playing for the Astros' New Orleans club.

"He was always a guy if I got on second base and ask if that pitch was a strike, he'd tell me the truth," Lamb said. "So it's been like a respectful relationship. But since being with the Astros, it's gone to a whole other level."

What it's become is a sort of back-and-forth comedy act.

The range of topics for the two to chide each other about is unending and nothing really appears to be off limits. That includes jokes about missed defensive plays by the sure-gloved shortstop or Lamb's penchant for complaining. And, of course, there's the occasional slip in fielding drills like Lamb's last week.

But that kind of humor is something the two players have both needed in recent years.

Lamb spent his four seasons in Houston stuck behind third baseman Morgan Ensberg. Lamb's chance to be an everyday player never really arose, even after Ensberg was traded last August. With some labeling his defense as "suspect," Lamb instead spent the rest of the '07 season playing behind Ty Wigginton in a year in which he hit .289 with 11 homers and 40 RBIs in 124 games.

Now, Lamb will finally get the opportunity to take over an everyday role at third after signing a two-year, $6.6 million deal with the Twins that includes an option for a third year. And he's eager to show people that he can handle the job.

"The amount of games I've played at third is like two or three years in the big leagues," Lamb said. "If you were to throw a third baseman out there and say give them three years, most of them would be much improved and on their way. But I'm 32 and I've just barely played three years in the big leagues.

"I'm hard on myself and I expect a lot out of myself. Playing third, I just have to prove it to myself. My career didn't start off so well at third. But I feel like I've made a lot of improvements."

The struggles for Lamb to break through in an everyday role at third may be part of the reason why most of his humor tends to be sarcastic and self-deprecating.

"Maybe it's a defense mechanism that when I'm nervous, I start making fun of myself," Lamb said. "But life is too short to be too crazy about it. Your mistakes are on ESPN over and over and over again. So you need some light heartedness to take the pressure off a little bit."

Everett, 31, knows a bit about pressure himself. While he had an everyday role in Houston, Everett's offensive woes often overshadowed his defensive excellence. A .248 career hitter with a .299 career on-base percentage, Everett's numbers have declined over the past couple of years. And last season was his worst of all.

Everett hit just .232 with two homers and 15 RBIs last season in 66 games. He missed more than half the year after breaking his right leg in mid-June. The injury occurred when he collided with left fielder Carlos Lee while trying to field a pop fly.

This spring Everett has been working on trying to re-discover his swing and get back to the hitter he was early in his career -- and one he still feels he can be.

"All the way up I've always hit decently," Everett said. "But then you get up here, you have a couple of OK years and then you have a really down year, and everybody thinks you can't hit again.

"Sometimes you have to put all that aside. And just say, 'I know what I can do,' and stick with it."

Considering their recent up and downs in Houston, the move to the Twins for both players is like a fresh start.

Well, a fresh start with some lingering familiarity. And that can't but help the two adjust to the change.

"We mess around a lot but he knows I'm in his corner and we've always got each other's backs," Lamb said.

For a team like the Twins, who have a history of homegrown talent and players with a similar type of chemistry, the duo of Lamb and Everett seems quite fitting. Their style of banter seems to fit into a clubhouse full of guys who enjoy giving each other a little razzing.

And while they are now in a new place, Lamb and Everett don't appear like they will be letting up on each other anytime soon either.

Rather, it might just get worse.

"It's going to be easier to rag him now," Lamb said. "Before, I was on the bench trying to yell at him. Now I'm standing right next to him."