In what was by far the most bizarre pitching performance of 2013, Tim Lincecum threw a 148-pitch no-hitter on July 13 against the San Diego Padres. He had 13 strikeouts, but also four walks, and threw an incredible amount of pitches in the process. However, a no-hitter is a no-hitter, and Lincecum’s performance is the perfect way to start this list.
Alex Rios had a dream of a game on July 9 vs. the Detroit Tigers, going 6-for-6 to go with two RBIs and two stolen bases. Detroit simply couldn’t get him out.
In Week 13 against the Kansas City Chiefs, Denver Broncos receiver Eric Decker had 174 yards receiving and four touchdowns.
On May 30 against the Philadelphia Phillies in Philadelphia, former Boston Red Sox center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury went 3-for-4 with five stolen bases.
Justin Rose edged Phil Mickelson to win the U.S. Open at Merion under extremely harsh conditions, finishing with a score of three-over par. To put that into context, Tiger Woods shot 13-over, while Rory McIlroy shot 14-over.
On February 28, Joakim Noah had a triple-double of 23 points, 21 rebounds and 11 blocks against the Philadelphia 76ers. That doesn’t happen very often.
On September 29, on his last outing of the season, Miami Marlins pitcher Henderson Alvarez had a 99-pitch no-hitter, striking out four while forcing 14 ground ball outs.
Jason Dufner earned a two-stroke win over Jim Furyk at Oak Hill in August to win the PGA Championship. He shot 63 in the second round, leading to his victory.
On December 22, Kevin Love scored 45 points to go with 19 rebounds and six assists against a Los Angeles Clippers team that has DeAndre Jordan and Blake Griffin. Pretty impressive stuff.
Adam Scott shot a final round 69, leading to a nine-under tournament to win his first Masters at Augusta National after a playoff with Angel Cabrera.
Heisman finalist Andre Williams, a running back at Boston College, had himself a game against North Carolina State on November 16. On an astounding 42 rushing attempts, he gained 339 yards and two touchdowns en route to rushing for over 2,000 yards on the season.
On April 26, Anibal Sanchez led his Detroit Tigers to a win against the Atlanta Braves with a 121-pitch outing in which he fanned 17 batters in eight innings. I would have liked to see Jim Leyland let him stay in with the potential of a 20-strikeout game in place, but I understand the decision of why he decided to hold him back so early in the season.
Miguel Cabrera is the best hitter in the world. On May 19, he showed exactly why. He went 4-for-4 with three homers and five RBIs and a walk against the Texas Rangers.
Heisman Trophy winner Jameis Winston made a huge statement in his first game of the season, going 25-for-27 from the air for 356 yards and five touchdowns. Both of his incompletions were catchable as well. From that point on, he put the nation on watch.
In Week 8 against the Dallas Cowboys, Megatron caught 14 passes for 329 yards and a touchdown.
At the end of April, Baltimore Orioles slugger Chris Davis hit an impressive .348 to go with nine homers and 28 RBIs. In May, he hit .364 with 10 home runs and 22 RBIs. He made it known right away that he was a legitimate everyday first baseman and finished the year with 53 home runs and 138 RBIs.
Tony Romo can’t catch a break. Now most likely out for the season with a back injury, he has been the subject of scrutiny for a while now. However, in Week 5 against the Broncos, a game in which the Cowboys actually lost, he had 506 passing yards to go with five touchdowns and outperformed Peyton Manning. But again, his team lost and it essentially didn’t matter. Poor Tony.
Called on in Game 5 in a deadlocked World Series, John Lester delivered in a big way, pitching 7.2 innings, striking out seven St. Louis Cardinals hitters in the process, leading to a Red Sox victory.
Steph Curry dominated at Madison Square Garden against the New York Knicks on February 27. He scored 54 points, including a ridiculous 11-for-13 showing from 3-point range, to go with seven assists and six rebounds.
Lebron scored 40 points, and had eight rebounds to go with 16 assists against the Sacramento Kings on February 2.
I firmly believe when it is said and done, Serena Williams will be universally considered the best female tennis player of all time. This year, she won the French Open, defeating Maria Sharapova 6-4, 6-4, and then won the U.S. Open, defeating Victoria Azarenka 7-5, 6-7, 6-1. She tore through the early rounds with complete ease and dominated her competition.
In the middle of November, Portugal took on Sweden in World Cup qualifying. In that game, Cristiano Ronaldo scored four goals, which is almost never done in soccer, especially at the international level.
On July 2 against the San Francisco Giants, Homer Bailey threw his second career no-hitter, striking out nine opponents in a 109-pitch outing in which he only gave up one walk.
Andy Murray made his homeland proud when he defeated Novak Djokovic by the score of 6-4, 7-5, 6-4 to become the first British male Wimbeldon champion since Fred Perry in 1936.
Coming off knee surgery, no one knew if Rafael Nadal would be back to his old form in 2013. He answered those questions, beating David Ferrer by the score of 6-3, 6-2, 6-3 to win the French Open, followed by a 6-2, 3-6, 6-4, 6-1 victory against Novak Djokovic to win the U.S. Open. He now has 13 Grand Slam titles, and is third among the all-time leaders.
Nick Foles has been extremely impressive after taking over as the Philadelphia Eagles' starting quarterback. On November 3, taking on the Oakland Raiders, he had a perfect passer rating of 158.3, going 22-for-28 for 406 yards and seven touchdowns in a 49-20 win. With the performance, he made Chip Kelly acknowledge him as the full-time starter.
After winning consecutive Sprint Cup Championships from 2006-2010, Jimmie Johnson earned his sixth in 2013, making him the best (to some) NASCAR driver to ever start his engine.
On December 15, Jamaal Charles helped the Kansas City Chiefs demolish the Oakland Raiders by the score of 56-31. In the process, he had five touchdowns. One of those touchdowns came on the ground where he rushed for 20 yards, but the other four came on the receiving end, where he caught eight passes for 195 yards. It was without a doubt, the best performance from a running back all season in the NFL. He also caused me to lose in my fantasy football playoffs.
Was Peyton Manning afraid or tentative of taking on the defending Super Bowl winner Baltimore Ravens on opening night of the NFL season? Well, not really. On September 5, Manning went 27-for-42 for 462 yards and seven touchdowns. Seven touchdowns against the defending champs! His QBR of 141.1 also speaks for itself. This performance, especially in the context of the game and how it set the tone for the season, trumps Nick Foles’ outstanding performance as the Broncos spanked the Ravens 49-27.
In the thrilling seven-game NBA Finals, the best player in the world and perhaps the best player ever proved why he can be considered so, leading his Miami Heat to a victory over the San Antonio Spurs. In the decisive Game 7, he had 37 points, 12 rebounds and four assists, knocking down five 3-pointers in the process. He was the best player on the court every night, and is the reason the Miami Heat are currently seeking a three-peat. So much for all the haters who labeled him a "choke artist."
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