Takashi Saito asked Manny Ramirez prior to wearing No. 24 for the Red Sox this season. "I actually spoke to Manny (Ramirez) through one of the interpreters with the Dodgers, and I asked him if you're not coming back to the Red Sox, is it OK if I take No. 24?," Saito said through an interpreter. "And Manny's response was that 24 and 99 are both lucky numbers, so go ahead and take it. Then I spoke to the guys here and it was available, so that's how I got offered the number."