Friday, August 20, 1999
Victoria Tom had
McGwire’s numberReader picked 'Big Mac' to lead
Star-Bulletin staff
the majors with 48 dingersSt. Louis Cardinals slugger Mark McGwire was a distant fourth in the major league home run chase when the Star-Bulletin's Homer Rama contest began back in June.
But that didn't deter Victoria Tom of Honolulu. She said she knew either McGwire or the Chicago Cubs' Sammy Sosa would be top dog when the contest ended.
How right she was. McGwire and Sosa have picked up where they left off last season, matching each other homer for homer.
Tom went with the all-time single-season record holder.
"He was so strong last year, I thought, well, he's gonna have another fantastic year," Tom said.
McGwire hit home run No. 48 on Wednesday, putting him one round-tripper ahead of Sosa and making a winner of Tom.
The contest generated 1,076 entries. Tom was one of three who correctly predicted McGwire would have 48 homers through yesterday.
Hers was the lucky ballot drawn, so she wins the $500.
"Oh, oh, oh my gosh," Tom gushed when told she had won the contest, and the cash.
Tom said she plans to treat her husband, Darwin, and son, Owen, to dinner with part of the winnings.
And she'll continue to be a McGwire fan. After all, it pays.
