Los Angeles' Manny Ramirez, right, and Blake DeWitt stretch. The Dodgers went through a workout Wednesday in Philadelphia.

Philadelphia ? Sporting freshly trimmed, thick braids instead of his usual dreadlocks, Manny Ramirez has a slightly new look for the NL championship series to go with his reformed West Coast attitude.

On the field, it’s the same old Manny. He just keeps hitting.

Ramirez changed the culture of the Los Angeles Dodgers, leading them to the playoffs with a dynamic performance after forcing his way out of Boston.

Riding their slugger’s torrid hitting and a couple of masterful pitching performances, the Dodgers swept the heavily favored Chicago Cubs out of the first round. Getting past the Philadelphia Phillies and their strong pitching in the NLCS won’t be that easy.

“They’re the best team out there,” Ramirez said Wednesday. “These guys are great. We don’t think we are better than them, but the key in the playoffs is to get in and anything can happen.”

Game 1 is tonight at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, with Derek Lowe (14-11) on the mound for the Dodgers against Cole Hamels (14-10).

Both teams have several outstanding players and a mix of interesting personalities, but all the focus was squarely on Ramirez the day before the opener. Cameras clicked and microphones followed the enigmatic left fielder everywhere he went before the Dodgers’ workout.

Ramirez took it in stride.

“It’s not my first rodeo,” he said.

He was charming, witty and humble, sitting down for nearly 20 minutes and answering questions on a wide range of topics.

Manny loves California, but he hasn’t learned to surf just yet. He doesn’t have the patience to walk 200 times a year like Barry Bonds. He enjoys playing for manager Joe Torre.

Just don’t ask Ramirez about his final days in Boston that ended with plenty of acrimony.

“I don’t want to talk about the past,” he said. “I don’t look back. I move forward. I don’t have anything bad to say about Boston.”

That goes for all his critics, too.

“My teammates know what kind of guy I am. That’s where I’ll leave it,” Ramirez said.

The 2004 World Series MVP, Ramirez already has two championship rings from his 71â2 seasons with the Red Sox. He wants another one with the Dodgers, who wouldn’t be here without him.

Ramirez batted .396 with 17 homers and 53 RBIs in 53 regular-season games with Los Angeles. He made a tremendous impact off the field, too, loosening up the clubhouse with his loud music and showing teammates how to relax and have more fun.

“I think he fit us perfectly because of our youth,” said Lowe, who also played with Ramirez in Boston. “It was great for our young hitters to see how a superstar goes about his daily business, how hard he prepares, how he doesn’t let one pitch or one at-bat affect him.”

Overall, Ramirez hit .332 with 37 homers and 121 RBIs this season. He continued to torment pitchers in the playoffs, going 5-for-10 with two homers, three RBIs and four walks against Chicago.

Ramirez has hit safely in 38 of his last 43 postseason games, with a .350 average during that span.