Before game 1 of the 1986 playoffs, I was standing in front of the ticket office at Fenway Park waiting for my brother. I was just watching the crowd and I noticed Steven King (the author) walking up and down Yawkey Way.
There was a guy standing across the street with a sign that said "I've been a Red Sox Fan Since: (followed by a list of tidbits which indicated he'd been a Sox fan for a long time) AND I NEED A TICKET!!" The guy really wanted to get into the game.
I watched Stephen King walk up to him and they started talking. Stephen King reached into his pocket, pulled out a ticket, and gave it to the sign guy. This guy went NUTS. He started whooping and hollering and he ran down the street screaming "I GOT A TICKET!! WOOOHOOO!"
He seemed pretty happy.
Now I'd seen Stephen King speak at UMASS and I actually met and spoke with him briefly, so I wasn't intimidated or anything. I walked over to him and said "that was a nice thing you did."
"Thanks."
"You know, if you need a ticket, I'll trade you mine for the rights to your next book."
He smiled, then immediately went deadpan and said "Yeah, sure pal." Then he chuckled and said "enjoy the game."
I don't know what ever happened to the sign guy, but Stephen King went on to make about eight gazillion more dollars after that night!
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