20 things to ponder about the Dodgers

WHOEVER WROTE the script for the 2009 Los Angeles Dodgers season should be nominated for an Academy Award, because most movies made in Hollywood just don't feature this type of drama.

The Dodgers got off to a torrid 21-8 start and looked, at least early on, like the best team in baseball. But, like with many Oscar-winning films, there needed to be a shocking twist of events.

You see, just like the biceps of star Manny Ramirez, appearances can be deceiving.

Riding the heels of a seven-game winning streak, Los Angeles was dealt a devastating blow when it was announced May 7 that Ramirez had tested positive for steroid use and would receive a mandatory 50-game suspension. LA survived without its slugger, going 29-21 over that span, while having to deflect persistent questions from the media about his wrongdoing.

Even when Ramirez finally returned, the Dodgers were never the same. They struggled to a 45-38 finish and were nearly overtaken by the Colorado Rockies for the National League West Division title.

Fortunately for the Dodgers, they still managed to stay on top, due in large part to manager Joe Torre's tutelage and leadership, and finished with the best record in the NL (95-67), gaining homefield advantage throughout the NL playoffs.

Then, thanks to the waving white rally towels at soldout Dodger Stadium and a pivotal dropped flyball by Matt Holliday that will live forever in Dodgertown, they swept the St. Louis Cardinals in the NLDS and earned some much-needed rest.

Now the Dodgers and Phillies meet for the second straight NLCS.

The sequel is shaping up to be just as good, if not better, than the original.

While you wait for the series to premiere - Game 1 is Thursday at 8 p.m. in Los Angeles - here are 20 things about the Dodgers:

1 Ramirez continued where he left off in the 2008 postseason, hitting .348 over his first 29 games. But once he came back from his suspension, Ramirez wasn't himself. He batted a rather pedestrian .269 with just 13 home runs in his final 260 at-bats. However, Ramirez may have finally righted himself at the plate. He was 3-for-5 with a pair of RBI in the series clincher against the Cardinals.

2The Dodgers led the majors with a 3.41 team ERA. Opponents also batted a major league-low .233 against them. The Dodgers' staff held the high-powered St. Louis offense to six runs the entire series. That's why they were able to bust out the brooms.