When the Dodgers acquired Boston slugger Manny Ramirezthis past week, I guess I was impressed. It seems to me that both local baseball clubs are dedicated to winning now. Believe me, I can appreciate that.

So when Manny played his first game in Chavez Ravine, it was must-see TV for me. (Such is the life of a newspaper designer. Never getting out to the game, just watch it on the tube.) And at first glimpse, I was appalled.

Wearing one of the most sacred numbers in all of sports was the Dodgers newest acquisition. No. 99 now adorns the jersey of Ramirez, who hit his first home run as a Dodger Saturday night.

Now I understand there's a whole long-ass story about why he was given 99: First he wanted 24, the same number he wore in Beantown. But the Dodgers have retired that number in honor of Walter Alston. Then he asked for 34, but that number belongs to Fernando Valenzuela. And even though it's not officially retired, could you imagine the uproar that would cause? It was reported that he settled on 66, then changed his mind to 99. When gametime came on Friday, he changed his mind yet again to 28, which was the original number the Dodgers were trying to give him from the get-go. But the Dodgers had already started their markteing campaign, and told him he was "stuck" with 99.

Now I understand Manny's one of the greatest hitters in the game. A first ballot Hall-of-Famer, according to some people. And I also understand that baseball and hockey are not viewed in the same light. But I think you could ask the average fan who was Number 99, nine out of ten people could tell you it belongs to Wayne Gretzky. No other athlete is as closely identified with his number as Gretzky.

Not Michael Jordan, who wore 23 and 45. Not Joe Montana, who wore 16 in San Francisco and 19 in Kansas City. The only pro athlete I could come up with is Jackie Robinson, whose number 42 is retired throughout Major League Baseball.

By putting 99 on the back of Ramirez, it has cheapened the digit to the point of novelty. Why did Manny choose it to begin with? Maybe he thinks he is on par with the Great One, or maybe it's a case of Manny Being Manny. And yeah, before you start... I know there are many other 99s in the world of sports, especially in American football. But in baseball? Come on. The highest number I could come up with on a star player is 72, which was Carlton Fisk's number. There was only one other player that I could come up with that wore 99: Ricky "Wild Thing" Vaughn, Charlie Sheen's character, in Major League. And now we come full circle...

Whatever. Manny's 99 for at least the end of the seaosn and that's going to rub me the wrong way.

Man, when does training camp start?