Bad August For Shields Is An Annual Occurance

What the heck has happened to Scot Shields?

Angel fans everywhere are asking the same question. He has an era of 10.00 since the All-Star Break when his era was 1.70. Some people have even suggested that he had arm surgery.

The truth is, every year he goes through a bad stretch. However, he's never had a stretch last this long.

Shields has a career era in August of 4.83. In months not named August, his era is 2.53.

His batting average against is equally different. Batters hit .289 against him in August, .209 in every other month.

I wish I had the solution to the almost doubling of the era, but I'll leave that to Mike Scioscia and Mike Butcher.

On a positive note, his career era in September is (a much better) 3.38.

Shields Month By Month ERA

       Apr   May  June  July   Aug   Sept
2007  4.26  1.69  0.00  4.09  9.00 108.00
2006  1.15  1.98  4.05  3.55  4.50   1.88
2005  1.23  2.81  3.57  1.06  4.38   4.63
2004  4.91  1.10  3.79  2.45  3.00   4.42
2003  0.77  2.21  2.16  2.21  5.05   3.09
2002              4.09  1.42  3.12   1.08
TOT   2.34  1.91  2.80  2.23  4.83   3.38

Shields Month By Month BAA

       Apr  May June July  Aug Sept
2007  .146 .164 .157 .318 .319 .667
2006  .137 .245 .240 .234 .214 .235
2005  .160 .164 .212 .217 .302 .135
2004  .225 .167 .230 .232 .317 .257
2003  .205 .293 .155 .263 .309 .203
2002            .293 .136 .233 .120
TOT   .182 .210 .211 .235 .289 .204