FITTING IN; NEW GUYS FIRING UP DODGERS.

Byline: Matt McHale Daily News Staff Writer

Five hours before game time and the tiny Dodgers clubhouse at Wrigley Field looked like rush hour on Rush Street.

There was a big card game and lots of Latin music, guys throwing socks and insults. There was Raul Mondesi, the Dodgers' $36 million outfielder, joking it up with reliever Jim Bruske.

In the middle of it all was Bobby Bonilla, the blockbuster personality in Friday's blockbuster trade that brought four Florida Marlins - and a player to be named later - to the Dodgers in exchange for Mike Piazza and Todd Zeile.

``Today is a good day!'' Bonilla shouted. And his new teammates understood.

Since Bonilla, Gary Sheffield, Charles Johnson and Jim Eisenreich arrived Saturday, every day has been a good day in the Dodger organization.

The team won its first two games with the new cast and created an excitement with Dodgers fans, who had grown impatient with a sub-.500 record and uninspired play.

``We just weren't beating the teams you are supposed to beat,'' said manager Bill Russell, whose team opened a nine-game road trip in Chicago against the Cubs on Tuesday night. ``That's when you know something is wrong. For the team to do something like this shows they are committed to winning. The whole mood is different, from the fans to the players to the clubhouse guys.''

The club drew 51,698 and 45,382 fans to Dodger Stadium on Saturday and Sunday, respectively, in the first two games with the new players. More impressive was a walk-up crowd - people without tickets before arriving at the stadium - of more than 6,000 for each game.

``I knew there would be a big change, but I didn't think it would happen this quickly,'' said first baseman Eric Karros.

On Saturday, in the sixth inning of his first game with the Dodgers, Bonilla made a statement that resonated with his new teammates. He already had hit a home run, but during the eight-run sixth, he sprang from his seat in the dugout and yelled, ``Let's keep this going - let's bury this (bleeping) team!''

``The rest of us just sat there stunned,'' said second baseman Eric Young. ``That was never the style here. People were kind of used to letting things happen. When he said that it was like saying, We are going to make things happen.''

The Dodgers were 19-22 before Friday's trade. Although several players said privately that trading Piazza and Zeile, productive but quiet players, has helped team chemistry, most of the Dodgers said the team had become stagnant and needed to change its personality.

``I don't think it is fair to put all this on trading Mike,'' Mondesi said. ``He is a tremendous player, the best player I've seen. But things weren't working here and we needed to shake things up. I have learned so much just watching Sheffield play over the weekend. Each of these guys brings something that can help us.''

Like four World Series rings, won last year when the Marlins defeated the Cleveland Indians. To reach the Series, Florida defeated the defending National League champion Braves, a team that embarrassed the Dodgers in Atlanta two weeks ago.

Bonilla and Russell were quick to add, however, that clubhouse cheerleading alone will not get the Dodgers to the postseason.

Sheffield has won a batting title and hit 40 home runs in a season in his career. Bonilla has appeared in seven postseason series and five All-Star Games.

But for pitching coach Goose Gregson, the key to the Dodgers' new attitude is Johnson, the best defensive catcher in the National League.

Gregson saw Johnson walk down to the Dodger bullpen before Sunday's game and warm up starter Ramon Martinez for the final seven minutes. Martinez was suffering from the flu, but lasted six innings in the 6-3 victory.