Change in the air for White Sox

It's still very early, but these certainly don't look like your 2007 White Sox.

Thank goodness for that.

A year after stumbling to a 72-90 finish that left them 24 games out of first place, the White Sox returned to town Monday with a seriously positive vibe about them.

The White Sox are 5-2 after beating the Minnesota Twins 7-4 at U.S. Cellular Field in their home opener, again looking nothing like the unhappy club that appeared lifeless on more nights than not a year ago.

"One thing we can take from these games is the energy this team has brought to each and every game," said third baseman Joe Crede, who was the hero Monday with a grand slam in the seventh inning.

"That's one of the biggest differences I can see, the amount of energy that we have in the dugout before the game, during the game. Guys are laughing and getting each other up for at-bats. You can't help but go out loose and play."

Crede pointed to the off-season additions of Nick Swisher and Orlando Cabrera for promoting a change of attitude in the clubhouse.

"Guys like Swisher and Cabrera bring it in," Crede said. "Swisher's over there yelling and sometimes you don't even know what he's saying, and you say, 'What's that guy yelling about over there?' Stuff like that brings energy to a team."

Swisher brushed off Crede's praise.

"I haven't done anything," Swisher said. "I love playing the game and I think that it may rub off on some people and it may help them. I just enjoy being here."

White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen's preseason promise to be Ozzie again was evident in the third inning when he was ejected by home-plate umpire Phil Cuzzi for arguing balls and strikes.

"I'm here for my players," Guillen said. "That's my job, to protect them. I don't like the calls and went out and handled it."

Guillen joked that he was on his computer e-mailing Major League Baseball when Crede hit his grand slam.

"My players are not here for me; I'm here for them," Guillen said. "I want to contribute to Major League Baseball with a lot of money. I have $100,000 on the side to keep paying."

Guillen could have said a lot more about Cuzzi but kept those thoughts to himself.

"If I say what I have on my mind, I might lose a couple days and I don't want to do that to the ballclub," Guillen said. "We're playing good and I should be there for them. This time I'm going to keep it to myself. I don't want to waste my time talking about that guy."

Swisher, naturally, loved seeing Guillen go to bat for his players.

"I've always been on the other side, seeing Ozzie go a little crazy," Swisher said. "To be on his side this time and to see him going out there and fighting for us, I love that. That jump-started me as much as it could jump-start me. I was already jump-started."

Bringing in Swisher with his freewheeling attitude and the all-out style of play was a calculated move by general manager Kenny Williams in an attempt to get some fire back into his team that he believed was missing last year.

"We want hard-nosed," Williams said. "We want Nick Swisher times 25. That's the style we must play to compete in this league. If we don't play it we're (in trouble)."

Jim Thome also gave Swisher a lot of credit for spicing up the clubhouse.

"Swisher and Cabrera are both fiery and energetic," Thome said. "Nick talks a lot, but that's good. We needed someone in here who shows a little excitement.

"We've got something good going on in here, and we've got to keep that mojo going."

While the chemistry is good after seven games, it's way too early to think the White Sox can approach what they did in '05, even if Jermaine Dye said Monday he believes this team has more talent than that World Series champ.

"Let me talk to J.D. in November," Guillen said. "In '05 we played well. I hope it's true, but they've got to show me first."