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Last Wednesday in St. Petersburg, R.A Dickey tossed a two hit shutout as the Blue Jays blanked Tampa Bay 3-0 to savage the final game of the three-game set at Tropicana Field. It was the Blue Jays first shutout and first complete game of the season. That seemed unusual to me, even for a team that is sitting in the basement in the A.L. East at 40-41. Going back to last season - when the Jays starting rotation was devastated by injuries - they had five complete games for the entire season, and four shutouts. Brandon Morrow had three of each for a team that finished 73-89. Safe to say the Blue Jays are well on pace to have their worst totals in both categories ever. Complete games have been on the downswing for years and it is a rare year indeed when even one pitcher in all of baseball hits double figures in the category. James Shields of the Rays was the last to accomplish the feat in the American League when he hurled 11 in 2011. In fact, since the Blue Jays last World Series title in 1993 only four American League pitchers - including Shields - have had 10 or more complete games in a season. The other three were Angels lefty Chuck Finley, Scott Erickson of the Orioles and current Blue Jays bullpen coach Pat Hentgen. The last to do it in the National League was Randy Johnson in 1999. In 1970, 19.65 per cent of all American League games were complete games. As recently as 2007, that figure had dropped to 2.82 per cent in the American League and 1.85 per cent in the NL. Dave Stieb was the first Blue Jays pitcher to lead the league in complete games with 19 in 1982. Hentgen led with 10 in 1996. The following season, the Blue Jays had co-leaders in the American League, with Roger Clemens and Hentgen each having nine. The interesting thing about 1997 is that it was the final year of Cito Gastons first stint as Manager of the Jays. They had a horrible season, despite getting that kind of quality pitching from Clemens and Hentgen. Lefty David Wells led in complete games in both 1999 and 2000 with seven and nine, respectively. Then we get to the incredible run of one Roy Halladay. He tied for the American League lead in 2003 with nine complete games. Then he held the lead outright in 2005 (five), 2007 (seven), 2008 (nine) and 2009 (nine). In Philadelphia, "Doc" topped the National League the next two seasons with nine and eight in 2010 and ‘11 respectively. But - perhaps as a harbinger of things to come - he had no complete games last season. It marked the first year without one in a decade. He is sidelined right now, rehabbing from shoulder surgery. Halladay wont be back ‘til August at the earliest and there is a chance he wont pitch at all for the Phillies for the rest of the season. The game has changed so much over the past 20 years, with pitch counts, increased specialization and reliance on relievers and of course the designated hitter thats been around 40 years. Its hard to discern, what the decrease in complete games really means. In more cases than not, if youve got a pitcher who can take the ball from first out to last, youve got a leader and youve got an ace. A Blue Jays pitcher has led the league or tied for the league lead in complete games 10 times over their 36 year history. They also employed former league leaders in Jack Morris, Dave Stewart and Phil Niekro. Oddly enough, in the five years they won the American league East, pitchers from other teams led in complete games. The fewest number of complete games to lead a league in any individual year is five, a record shared by Halladay (2005) and Dickey (in his 2012 NL Cy Young season). For the record, Clevelands Justin Masterson is leading the American League so far this season with three complete games while Adam Wainwright of the Cardinals is leading the National League with four. Cleveland enters Monday tied for first in the A.L Central with Detroit, while the Cardinals are second in the NL Central, two games back of Pittsburgh. There is no question July is make-or-break for the Blue Jays. They play 26 games: 17 at home and nine away. Its by no means an easy schedule since they have three-game sets with Baltimore and Tampa Bay, a three-gamer with Oakland and their current four-game set with Detroit. Just the same, with the heavy load of home games this month, the Blue Jays must make up a lot of ground in the Wild Card race, if the games in August and September are going to mean anything. Cheap Saints Jerseys China . This week, topics cover the Blue Jays rotation, the futures John Gibbons and Alex Anthopoulos, protecting pitchers and a bonus question on his predictions for the MLB playoffs. Wholesale Saints Jerseys .com) - The Eastern Conference-leading Toronto Raptors are back in the great white north for a brief moment and will host the Dallas Mavericks Friday night from Air Canada Centre. http://www.cheapsaintsjerseyselite.com/?tag=cheap-chauncey-gardner-johnson-jersey . LOUIS -- To stay a step ahead of goaltenders, T. Cheap Saints Jerseys . The Wizards announced Friday that Webster had surgery to repair a herniated disc in his lower back. The operation was performed Thursday in Los Angeles. Erik McCoy Jersey . -- The Washington Redskins coaching staff distanced itself from other coaches Thursday by siding with ownership -- and not the players -- in the NFLs labour dispute.The next level. That is the aim for this seasons edition of the Calgary Flames under new general manager Brad Treliving, who sat down on Friday with TSN Hockey Insider Bob McKenzie. For Treliving, success for the Flames this season will mean a step foward. "Ultimately, how is that step foward determined?" asked Treliving rhetorically. "We go into this season with the goal of making the playoffs and I dont think that should ever change. Our goal, our mission as an organization is to make the playoffs and we need to see progress and progress can be measured many ways. Weve got some internal indicators, but we need to see our team, collectively and each player, to make a step forward." In his first year with the Flames and his maiden voyage as an NHL general manager, following 11 seasons as both the assistant GM of the now-Arizona Coyotes and GM of their AHL-affiliate San Antonio Rampage, Treliving, thus far, has enjoyed working under the teams iconoclastic president of hockey operations, Brian Burke. "Its been everything Ive envisioned it to be," said Treliving of the relationship. "Brians my boss and a big part of the reason why I came to Calgary was having Brian there. Ive seen it over the course of the summer now the ability to share ideas, the ability to go a short distance to get opinions on things. Hes allowed me the ability to go out and make decisions and do what I feel is the necessary thing to do for the organization, but were working lockstep. Its not something where an idea or thought goes by without me sharing it with Brian and vice versa, but its been excellent. As I said, its been everything I thought it would be. Hes a guy with a great deal of experience. You dont have to ask him or push to share his opinion and its been a marvelous working relationship." Now almost five months into the job, Treliving sees the building blocks in place for the Flames. "As an outsider last year looking at this team, you couldnt help but respect or notice how hard it worked, how hard it competed," said Treliving. "The message were trying to have internally over the course of the summer is we have to not only maintain that, but we have to take that to another level. "I think its going to be an expectation of this team of some non-negotiable items and one is going to be how hard we work as an organization. Frankly, we cant afford not to when you look at where our team is in trying to grow our talent base. So that will be our number one and, number two, we need more. We need to improve." Chief on the list of things to improve for the team is goaltending. The clubs .899 save percentage as a team last season was third-worst in the NHL. To remedy that, Jonas Hiller was signed to a two-year deal worth $9 million. Though excited about the arrival of Hiller, Treviling was quick to state that his signing was not reproof of the performance of the incumbent netminder, Karri Ramo. "What I think what weve done is created competition in the net," explained Treliving. "The signing of Jonas in the summer was by no means an indictment of what Karri did. I think Karri, for coming back [to the NHL] had a strong season, especially late. But again, creating competition throughout the organization is only going to make us better. So thats a battle that will be interesting at the start of camp and going into the preseason and beyond. Ultimately, their performance will dictate who plays and how much." The concept of performance dictating play isnt something that will die with his goalies. Of that, Treliving is adamant and it will determine whether or not some of his prized young players will make Bob Hartleys squad. At the top of that list sits Sam Bennett. Taken fourth-overall iin this past summers NHL Entry Draft, Bennett could leap right into the NHL, much like Sean Monahan did last season with the Flames.ddddddddddddTaken sixth-overall in 2013, Monahan scored 20 goals in his rookie campaign. For his part, Treliving is quick to point out that the circumstances of the pair arent identical, but that Bennett certainly could be playing in the NHL this season. "The quick answer is yes," Treliving said as to whether or not Bennett has a real shot. "We spoke to our young guys the last couple of days and the message is, when youre 27th in the league, I dont think there are any spots that are locked up," explained Treliving. "Having said that, weve been honest and very open about it. I think the fact that Seans rookie season is so fresh in everybodys mind in Calgary, theres some distinctive differences when you look at the two players. Obviously, age. Theres almost a years difference from where Sean was last time and where Sam is this year. "I think Sam still has some development to do physically. So there are some areas [of concern and] we dont say those to deter Sam by any stretch and I know that hes singularly focused to come in and make this team and make the general managers comments make a little silly." The key for Treliving, though, remains whether or not the pro game is right for Bennett. "Ive said many times that theres lots of people who can play in the league," said Treliving. "Now, whether they can have success, whether they can help the team and, ultimately, whether its the right thing for them - those are questions, ultimately, Sam will answer for us over the course of the next few weeks." The same applies to Johnny Gaudreau. The winner of the 2014 Hobey Baker Award as a standout at Boston College, Gaudreau played in one game late last season for the Flames and scored in his appearance before going on to impress at the World Championship this past spring. As with Bennett, Treliving will not rush the 21-year-old. "Were going to go through step one and step one for him is going through the rookie camp," said Treliving of Gaudreau. "Were not going to worry about whos going to make the team. People dont make [the team] or get cut this week. Ultimately, his steps and his progression and his performance over the course of the next several weeks are going to determine where he and several other guys start. You cant deny the skill or the intelligence. How that translates, well see here in the coming weeks." Along with Bennett and Gaudreau, Treliving cites the likes of Markus Granlund and Corban Knight as "players on the cusp." While their potential may be tantalizing, Treliving is cautiously optimistic. "What theyll do and when theyre ready to play, whether its October, November, January or next year - thats the exciting thing for us," said Treliving of his young charges. "Were not going to force-feed people into the line-up who are not ready to, but I think weve got a number of guys right now who will make this camp interesting." If theres one thing that concerns Treliving about his team, its the ability to score goals. The team was 23rd last season in goals scored with 209, but Treliving acknowledges that generating offence is something that every team in the league has to worry about. "As much as you need to defend, you need to create," said Treliving. "Thats one thing when I look at our line-up right now - and I think were going to have some very interesting competition thoughout the line-up - goal-scoring and the ability to create offence is something you can never have enough and well see where were at in that area." Calgary Flames training camp opens on Thursday. 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