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Top 15 Sports Performances of 2014

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By @mturnerny

Top 15 Sports Performances 2014

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Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

Legends are born every day. They are born when athletes go above and beyond the highest level of play, and create a lasting memory for all who experienced it. They are the stories we’ll tell our kids about, the ones that cement players in the lore of their sport for all eternity. Although there are plenty of performances that qualify, here are the top 15 performances from 2014.

15. Derek Jeter

Derek Jeter New York Yankees
William Perlman/NJ Advance Media for NJ.com via USA TODAY Sports

15. Derek Jeter

Derek Jeter New York Yankees
William Perlman/NJ Advance Media for NJ.com via USA TODAY Sports

Granted it doesn’t stand out as an incredible statistical performance, per se; it stands out because of its meaning. Future Hall of Famer Derek Jeter hit a walk-off single in his final game at Yankee Stadium against the Baltimore Orioles. It was exactly the way Jeter was supposed to end his career, (although he ended that three days later in Boston), and for that reason, it sneaks into the top performances of this year.

14. California Chrome and Victor Espinoza

California Chrome
Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports

14. California Chrome and Victor Espinoza

California Chrome
Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports

As the winner of the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness, California Chrome had the chance to become the first Triple Crown winner since Affirmed in 1978. A fourth-place finish in the Belmont Stakes ended those hopes, but he still finished as one of the top horses in the world, as ranked by the World’s Best Racehorse Rankings. This marked the second time Victor Espinoza won those two races.

13. Justin Williams and the Los Angeles Kings

Justin Williams Los Angeles Kings
James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports

13. Justin Williams and the Los Angeles Kings

Justin Williams Los Angeles Kings
James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports

The Los Angeles Kings won their second Stanley Cup in three years off of Alec Martinez’ shot in the 93rd minute of Game 5. The Kings scored at least three goals in all of their wins, including three that they won in overtime. In the playoff run, Justin Williams had nine goals and 15 assists, and eventually won the Conn Smithe Trophy.

12. Mo'ne Davis

\Mo'ne Davis Philadelphia Taney Dragons
Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports

12. Mo'ne Davis

Mo'ne Davis Philadelphia Taney Dragons
Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports

Thirteen-year-old, Mo’ne Davis, pitched her way into the hearts and memories of all baseball fans this summer during the Little League World Series. She led her Philadelphia team to the double elimination round on the back of her 70-mph fastball. Her performance earned her the first pitch in Game 4 of the World Series, where she threw a strike from the mound.

11. TJ Oshie

TJ Oshie USA
Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports

11. TJ Oshie

TJ Oshie USA
Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports

During the Winter Olympics, T.J. Oshie put the U.S. past Russia in preliminary round of the hockey tournament. A tied game went to a shootout and after three shots, with the game still tied, the teams went into a Sudden Death shootout. Oshie took five shots in a row, scoring on three of them, including the game-winner. His ability to thrive in that role earned him a spot on the team, and he did exactly what was needed of him.

10. Samaje Perine

Samaje Perine Oklahoma
Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

10. Samaje Perine

Samaje Perine Oklahoma
Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

The most rushing yards in a single NCAA FBS game now belongs to Oklahoma Sooners RB Samaje Perine. On November 11, Perine rushed for 427 yards with five touchdowns on 35 carries. He trampled Kansas' defense and broke the record set only one week earlier. The record prior to that was set by LaDainian Tomlinson in 2002.

9. Melvin Gordon

Melvin Gordon Wisconsin
Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

9. Melvin Gordon

Melvin Gordon Wisconsin
Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

The man who’s record Perine broke was Wisconsin RB Melvin Gordon. A week prior to Perine, Gordon rushed for 408 yards and four touchdowns against No. 16 Nebraska. Gordon is ranked higher than Perine due to the fact that he accomplished the feat against a better team, on less carries (25), and in only three quarters. Had he played the entire game, he would have likely put up numbers that Perine would not have surpassed.

8. Tim Howard

Tim Howard USA
Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports

8. Tim Howard

08 Tim Howard USA - Copy
Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports

During this summer’s World Cup, in a game where the U.S. played Belgium, Tim Howard broke the record for most saves in a single World Cup game with 16. In the absence of Landon Donovan, Howard was the leader of that team and he nearly willed them to victory all the way from the net. Unfortunately, the U.S. eventually lost 2-1 in extra time.

7. DeMarco Murray

DeMarco Murray Dallas Cowboys
Jim O'Connor-USA TODAY Sports

7. DeMarco Murray

DeMarco Murray Dallas Cowboys
Jim O'Connor-USA TODAY Sports

Dallas Cowboys RB DeMarco Murray set the NFL record for most consecutive games of at least 100 rushing yards to start a season with eight, breaking Jim Brown’s 56-year-old record of six. Murray also scored at least one touchdown in each of the first four games. With only one game remaining, he won’t break Eric Dickerson’s all-time rushing record in one season, but it doesn’t hamper the performances he had early in the season.

6. Ben Roethlisberger

Ben Roethlisberger Pittsburgh Steelers
Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

6. Ben Roethlisberger

Ben Roethlisberger Pittsburgh Steelers
Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

In consecutive weeks earlier this season, Ben Roethlisberger passed for 862 yards and 12 touchdowns. The dozen touchdowns in a two-game period broke the previous record of 11 set by Oakland’s Tom Flores in 1963 (in the AFL) and New England’s Tom Brady in his historic 2007 season. In the first of those two games, Big Ben threw for 522 yards, which made him the only QB in NFL history to surpass 500 passing yards in a game twice.

5. German National Football Team

German National Football Team
Tim Groothuis/Witters Sport via USA TODAY Sports

5. German National Football Team

German National Football Team
Tim Groothuis/Witters Sport via USA TODAY Sports

In the semifinals of this summer’s World Cup, Germany scored four goals in a span of six minutes to overcome host-country Brazil. In total, they scored five goals in 18 minutes – the first team to ever do that – and won by a score of 7-1. Against Lionel Messi and Argentina, the German team scored the game’s only goal in the 113th minute, securing their fourth World Cup title, the most of all time.

4. Kawhi Leonard and the San Antonio Spurs

Kawhi Leonard San Antonio Spurs
Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports

4. Kawhi Leonard and the San Antonio Spurs

Kawhi Leonard San Antonio Spurs
Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports

The San Antonio Spurs won their fifth NBA Finals in 15 years this June. After losing the previous Finals to the Miami Heat, the Spurs exacted their revenge, ending the Heat’s streak of two straight championships. The Spurs won 4-1 and defeated the Heat by at least 15 points in each game. Their 70-point differential and 52.8 shooting percentage are both NBA Finals records. Leonard was named MVP, averaging 17.8 PPG, 6.4 RPG, and 2.0 APG.

3. Lionel Messi

Lionel Messi Barcelona
Getty Images

3. Lionel Messi

Lionel Messi Barcelona
Getty Images

In the span of four days, Barcelona forward Lionel Messi broke the record for most all-time goals in La Liga and the Champions League via two hat tricks. He broke the record of 251 La Liga goals, previously held by Athletic Bilbao striker Telmo Zarra (set in 1955), and 71 Champions League goals held by former Real Madrid striker Raul. At only 27 years old, Messi has already cemented himself as one of the greatest football players of all time.

2. Peyton Manning

Peyton Manning Denver Broncos
Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

2. Peyton Manning

Peyton Manning Denver Broncos
Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

Against San Francisco in Week 7, Peyton Manning set the NFL record for most career passing touchdowns. He threw his 509th TD, eclipsing former Green Bay QB Brett Favre’s record of 508, to Demaryius Thomas. He currently has 530 and has at least one more season in him. He has the potential to reach 600 if he plays long enough, but even if he doesn’t, his record will be difficult to touch by anyone, even considering the talent at the QB level now.

1. Madison Bumgarner

Madison Bumgarner San Francisco Giants

1. Madison Bumgarner

Madison Bumgarner San Francisco Giants
John Rieger-USA TODAY Sports

In this year’s World Series, San Francisco Giants pitcher Madison Bumgarner put on one of the greatest performances in the history of baseball. He pitched Games 1, 5, and 7, combining for 21 innings, one run and 17 strikeouts. In Game 7, he pitched five innings of relief, earning the save, on only two days rest. His dominance earned him the MVP of the series, and the Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year.

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