Is, like so many things, a myth. At least as far as May is concerned.

Since 1999, Shawn Green's OPS in April and May ... and Season Total
2004: .869/.644 ..... ?
2003: .751/.813 ..... .815
2002: .710/1.127 ... .943
2001: .913/.823 ..... .970
2000: .944/1.175 ... .839
1999: 1.077/.944 ... .972 (with Toronto)

His Aprils from 2001-2003 have fallen below his season OPS, though not in 1999 or 2000 - nor was his April in 2001 anything to be ashamed of.

However, two of his past five May OPSes have been above his season total, with one virutually even.

From 1998-2002, Green did not have consecutive opening months with an OPS below .900.

Moreover, Green has no recent history of a month of May like he is currently having.

Shawn Green's Worst OPS Months Since 1997
.489 - May 1997
.573 - June 2003
.644 - May 2004 (in progress)
.673 - August 1999
.675 - July 1998
.683 - July 2000
.692 - September 2000

Note that none of these months occurred from 2001-2002, which we can seemingly now define as the peak of Green's career. (In 2002, Gary Sheffield was in Atlanta, by the way.)

More to the point, five of the seven months on the Worst list came in June or later.

Today's Daily News brought the most pointed comments I've ever seen from Dodger manager Jim Tracy regarding Green.

Asked after the game, a 5-1 loss to the Atlanta Braves, if he had seen improvement from the slumping Green, Tracy didn't hesitate.

"Very little," he said. "That's not Shawn Green. (Despite) the fact he got a couple of base hits, that's not the Shawn Green I have been accustomed to seeing."

In other words, Green's problem is not the calendar.

[I feel I should put a disclaimer on any writings I post regarding Green. Just because I think something is wrong with him doesn't mean I think his career is over.]