Chasing down a $1,000 Payoff winner

There were nine winners in the

Daily News

Home Run Payoff contest over the weekend, including a $1,000 winner thanks to Chase Utley's home run in the sixth inning Saturday against the Cubs.

Michael Long is a very busy man. So busy that he missed our first attempt yesterday to tell him that he won $1,000. On our second try, we finally reached him: "Holy cow! Holy cow! Are you kidding me? Stop, you're playing with me!"

But we weren't.

We caught up with Long when he was on his way to the market to pick up celery seed for a Mother's Day barbecue.

Long, 32, is a full-time student in the hotel and restaurant management program at Burlington County College in Pemberton, N.J. He lives in Medford, N.J.

As of 5 p.m. yesterday, Long already had made breakfast omelets for his girlfriend and children, played football and baseball and ran relay races (where he thinks he pulled a hamstring). We hope our call helped him forget about that hamstring.

Other Payoff winners Saturday:

Susan McGeehan, Phoenixville

Andrew Turiano Sr., Philadelphia

Vicki Burkart, Philadelphia

Steve Lucas, Stockton, N.J.

Dolores Thompson, Somerdale, N.J.

Payoff winners in yesterday's seventh inning:

Jim Green, Philadelphia

John Welsh, West Point

Thomas Wisniewski, Philadelphia

The Daily News pays $1,000 for a home run hit in the Payoff inning and $10,000 for a grand slam. Contestants whose batter fails to hit a home run receive a gift pack, which includes a variety of Phillies-related items.

This season, the Daily News has paid out $4,000.

You can hear the Home Run Payoff inning during each Phillies broadcast on WPHT (1210-AM). *