1957: What would have been a brilliant career was cut short. Cleveland pitcher Herb Score was struck in the face by a line drive off the bat of the Yankees’ Gil McDougald. A 20-game winner and the American League strikeout leader the year before, Score won just 17 games over the next five seasons.
1972: The end of an 18-year drought. The Los Angeles Lakers topped the New York Knicks 114-100 to win the NBA championship in five games. It was the Lakers first title since 1954, and their first in LA.
1983: The Boss got them the big win. The Islanders Mike Bossy had a hat trick plus one to help New York dispatch Boston 8-4 to win the Wales Conference Final. The Islanders went on to beat Edmonton for the Stanley Cup.
Happy birthday today to . . . Former San Diego Chargers defensive end Leslie O’Neal is 62. Ex-Phoenix Suns small forward Shawn Marion is 48. WWE superstar Kevin Owens is 42, and former Seattle Seahawks safety Earl Thomas is 37.