YORK, Maine — A life-long Red Sox fan's dream came true while getting the COVID vaccine on Tuesday.
Wells resident Mike Doyle got an autograph from Red Sox pitcher Luis Tiant, more than 45-years after attending one of his games.
Doyle said he attended an American League Championship game at Fenway Park in 1975. The Red Sox played against the Oakland A’s. Tiant pitched and won this first game, 7-1, and the Red Sox team went on to sweep the series, 3-0, advancing to the World Series to battle the Cincinnati Reds. The Sox took the Series to seven games but ultimately lost the last game.
Doyle saved the ticket and hid it in his wallet a few years ago, hoping to run into the legend.
In February, he did! It happened at a vaccine clinic in York County. That's when Doyle asked Tiant to sign his ticket.
"I think he sort of looked at it like 'what is this?' But like I said, he just very quickly signed it and was very cordial. I thought it was pretty neat and my wife did too. She said 'I'll never hear the end of this' and here we are two months later talking about it," Doyle said.
Doyle said at his second shot appointment, he brought his second ticket, hoping to run into Tiant again.
Sure enough, he was there, and he signed that one too.
He said both tickets are now laminated and displayed on top of his bookcase.