Top 5 MLB photos of the year

The 2014 MLB season will go down as one of the most memorable in recent history, as the game said goodbye to two legends, mourned the loss of one of the greatest hitters of all time, and saw a pair of left-handed hurlers mature into perennial superstars.

A picture says a thousand words, so here are five photos that sum up the 2014 campaign:

Derek Jeter's dramatic farewell to Yankee Stadium

Derek Jeter's farewell tour reached its climax when he delivered a walk-off single in his final game at Yankee Stadium. The spine-tingling moment couldn't have been scripted any better, as Jeter got mauled by his teammates after raising his arms in glory. Farewell, Captain.

Madison Bumgarner dominates the postseason, but his beer-chugging skills are even more impressive

The Giants lefty almost single-handedly propelled his team to their third World Series title in the past five seasons after tossing an incredible 52 2/3 postseason innings. His beer-chugging skills, which he showcased at the end of each victorious series, were even more impressive than his 1.03 ERA and 0.65 WHIP in the playoffs.

Mr. Padre is mourned by the entire baseball community

Former San Diego Padres outfielder and Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn passed away at the age of 54 in June due to salivary gland cancer. Gwynn spent his entire 20-year career with the Friars, finishing with 3,141 career hits, good for 18th all-time. The 15-time All-Star won eight batting titles and five Gold Glove awards.

Clayton Kershaw throws first career no-hitter

The Los Angeles Dodgers lefty threw his first career no-hitter in an 8-0 victory over the Colorado Rockies on June 18. Kershaw could have had a perfect game, if not for a seventh-inning throwing error by Hanley Ramirez. Don't feel too bad for him, though. He was later named National League MVP and picked up his third Cy Young Award in four seasons.

White Sox say goodbye to Paul Konerko

Overshadowed but not to be outdone by the Derek Jeter farewell tour, Konerko said one final goodbye to the White Sox faithful in late September. The six-time All-Star played all but 81 of his 2,348 career games in Chicago, and guided the franchise to a World Series title in 2005.