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When he's not in red, Francona loves green

Kevin Garnett will be in the house to throw out the first pitch this evening. I'll bet he could probably hit 90 if he warmed up, just because he's so big, but that's a topic for another day. Red Sox manager Terry Francona is a big Celtics fan -- even pre-Garnett. He went to five or six games at the Garden this past season, and said he'll always watch them on television -- even staying up late for the West Coast games.

"I'm really excited about this," Francona said. "Gagne is first, but not by a lot. This is a big deal."

Francona said he plans to have a word with Garnett when he comes, though he won't catch the 6-11 forward's pitch. The Red Sox already have hosted Ray Allen for a day, and Francona gave him some valuable advice.

"You'll do good," Francona told the shooting guard. "Just don't miss."

Allen laughed and said, "That's what I've heard."