LOS ANGELES - One name rocked all of baseball, the other merely stunned fans of the Phillies.

Before receiving 50-game suspensions for violating Major League Baseball's drug policy, Manny Ramirez was a surefire Hall of Famer, while J.C. Romero was merely a good lefthanded reliever who played a big role in the Phillies' first World Series title in 28 years.

Their suspensions were the same, but their cases were very different. Romero was the first player to be suspended by MLB for using an over-the-counter supplement. Baseball acknowledged that much at the time. Ramirez, meanwhile, reportedly tested positive for artificial testosterone, as well as human chorionic gonadotropin, a women's fertility drug that is typically used to restart testosterone production after a cycle of anabolic steroids.

Ramirez blamed the doctor who prescribed the drug. Romero sued the store where he bought his supplement and the company that manufactured it.

The bottom line for both men is their names were added to the ever-lengthening list of baseball players linked to performance-enhancing drugs.

Last October, when the Phillies and Dodgers met in the National League Championship Series, Ramirez and Romero were untainted. Both were at the top of their games. Ramirez hit .533 in that NLCS - 8 for 15 with two home runs - while Romero pitched in three games without allowing a hit or a run.

This time around, Romero is missing. After serving his suspension, he has been dogged by injuries and is not able to pitch in the postseason. A year after Romero was a key reason the bullpen was one of the Phillies' strengths, his absence is a key reason the bullpen is now the Phillies' biggest weakness.

Unlike Romero, Ramirez still has the chance to make his 2009 about more than his suspension. He is not missing from this series, but something is. He was credited with bringing a swagger to a young Dodgers lineup last year, spurring the team to the NLCS with his presence as well as his hot bat.

But Ramirez's bat has been cold since he returned from his suspension in early July, and he was just plain awful as the Dodgers stumbled toward clinching the NL West in September.

Good luck getting Ramirez to talk about any of this. He sat at his locker in the cramped home clubhouse here - Dodger Stadium has quietly become the Vet with mountains in the background - and answered reporters' questions in Spanish and English for about 15 minutes.

And what did he reveal?

Nothing. Nada.

"I don't live in the past," Ramirez said, referring presumably to the same past Mark McGwire was not there to tell Congress about. "I don't remember anything. I just want to come and play."

The essence of Ramirez - Manny being Manny and all of that - was a kind of naive joy in playing the game. His obliviousness was part of his charm and also considered a big reason for his success. Other players pressed in tense situations, especially in the postseason. Manny thrived.

"Every time you're in the playoffs, man, it's fun," he said. "It's great. Especially when you're only one step to go to the World Series, it's a special moment. I'm just blessed. Everywhere I go, I've been in the playoffs. I'm just excited. I can't wait to see what's going to happen."

In his absence, the young Dodgers he led last year became more self-reliant. Players like Andre Ethier and Matt Kemp assumed more of the burden and the team was fine.

"I think the rest of the guys, they grew up a lot last year," Ramirez said. "They got a lot of experience from what we went through last year. I think they're more ready. I'm glad they're my team. They grew a lot. I think they're ready to carry the team."

They've had to. Ramirez struggled at the plate after his suspension, hitting .255 (.379 OPS) with 10 home runs and 34 RBIs in 68 games. He hit below .200 during the last four weeks of the regular season.

Worse still, Ramirez was booed by Dodgers fans after failing to hustle after a fly ball in August. That was the sort of thing that led to his unhappy departure from Boston during the '08 season. The suspension and the ensuing mediocre performance have taken a lot of the romance out of the relationship between Manny and the citizens of Mannywood.

Ramirez showed signs of life in the division series, hitting .308 with three doubles. For the Dodgers to go to the World Series, he's going to have to be that good or better, to be the Manny of 2008.

"This is a new series," Ramirez said. "That's the good thing about the second round. Anything can happen. Anyone can be the hero."

And as Ramirez and Romero learned, anyone can be the villain.

Phil Sheridan:

Manny Ramirez was the MVP for the Dodgers in last year's NLCS, perhaps the only Dodger who hit the ball consistently. This year, he was mortal after a 50-game suspension for failing an MLB drug test. The Phillies' J.C. Romero received a similar suspension, but he never approached his success of last season and is not on the playoff roster.

Read his recent work at http://go.philly.com/philsheridan.