May 1983 in Sports History

Events in Sport

Event of Interest

May 13 Reggie Jackson is 1st major leaguer to strike out 2,000 times

MLB Right Fielder Reggie Jackson — MLB Right Fielder
Reggie Jackson

May 14 Rosa Mota runs female world record 20k (1:06:55.5)
May 17 Stanley Cup Final, Nassau Coliseum, Uniondale, NY: 4 consecutive titles for NY Islanders; sweep Edmonton Oilers in 4 games with a 4-2 Game 4 win

Boxing Title Fight

May 20 American heavyweight boxer Larry Holmes beats countryman Tim Witherspoon by split decision to retain his WBC title at the Dunes Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas

WBC Heavyweight Champion Larry Holmes — WBC Heavyweight Champion
Larry Holmes

Boxing Title Fight

May 20 Michael Dokes & Mike Weaver fight to a draw in 15 for heavyweight boxing title

WBA World Heavyweight Champion Mike Weaver — WBA World Heavyweight Champion
Mike Weaver

Event of Interest

May 20 Phillies Steve Carlton passes W Johnson with 2nd most strike outs

Baseball Pitcher Steve Carlton — Baseball Pitcher
Steve Carlton

May 21 108th Preakness: Donald Miller Jr on Deputed Testamony wins in 1:55.4
May 22 Toronto Blue Jay Cliff Johnson hits record 18th pinch hit HR
May 25 Kirk Gibson (Tigers) & Jorge Orta (Blue Jays) hit inside park HRs
May 25 27th European Cup: Hamburg beats Juventus 1-0 at Athens
May 26 29th Walker Cup: US, 13½ - 10½
May 26 LA Lakers set NBA playoff game record of fewest free throws
May 29 Yuri Dumchev of USSR throws discus a record 71.86 m
May 29 Indianapolis 500: Tom Sneva wins in 3:05:03.092 (260.902 km/h)

Event of Interest

May 30 AL President Lee MacPhail suspends Yankees owner George Steinbrenner for one week, for his public criticism of umpires

New York Yankees Owner George Steinbrenner — New York Yankees Owner
George Steinbrenner

May 31 37th NBA Championship: Philadelphia 76ers sweep LA Lakers in 4 games

Birthdays in Sport

May 1 Alain Bernard, French swimmer (Olympic gold 100m freestyle 2008, 4x100 freestyle relay 2012), born in Aubagne, France
May 3 Joseph Addai, American football player, born in Houston, Texas
May 3 Romeo Castelen, Dutch footballer, born in Paramaribo, Suriname
May 3 Márton Fülöp, Hungarian footballer and goalkeeper, born in Budapest (d. 2015)
May 4 Derek Roy, Canadian ice hockey player, born in Rockland, Ontario
May 6 Dani Alves da Silva, Brazilian football player (Paris Saint-Germain, Brazil national team), born in Juazeiro, Brazil
May 9 Tyler Lumsden, American baseball player
May 9 Gilles Müller, Luxembourgian tennis player
May 11 Frédéric Xhonneux, Belgian decathlete
May 11 Matt Leinart, American College Football Hall of Fame quarterback (Heisman Trophy 2004, USC; NFL: Arizona Cardinals, Houston Texans) and broadcaster (Fox Sports), born in Santa Ana, California
May 12 Charilaos Pappas, Greek footballer
May 13 Yaya Touré, Ivorian footballer
May 16 Kyle Wellwood, Canadian ice hockey player
May 17 Nicky Hofs, Dutch footballer
May 17 Channing Frye, American basketball player
May 17 Jeremy Sowers, American baseball player
May 18 Gary O'Neil, English footballer
May 18 Luis Terrero, Dominican baseball player
May 18 Vince Young, American football player
May 22 John Hopkins, Anglo-American motorcycling racer
May 27 Bobby Convey, American soccer player
May 28 Steve Cronin, American soccer goalkeeper
May 28 Humberto Sanchez, Dominican baseball player

Deaths in Sport

May 2 Norm Van Brocklin, American football star (b. 1926)
May 5 Olin Dutra, American golfer (PGA C'ship 1932, US Open 1934), dies at 82
May 20 Clair Bee, American College Basketball and Basketball Hall of Fame coach (Long Island University undefeated 1936, 39; National Invitation Tournament 1939, 41), dies at 87
May 25 Black Jack Stewart, Canadian NHL hockey player (b. 1917)

Jack Dempsey

May 31 Jack Dempsey, American boxer (world heavyweight champion 1919-26), dies of heart failure at 86