Bill James vs. Steve Shields — Career Comparison

Bill James
Lost GenerationMichiganThrows RightBats SwitchNorth AmericaDetroit TigersAmerican LeagueStarting Pitcher
Steve Shields
Baby BoomersAlabamaThrows RightBats RightNorth AmericaNew York YankeesAmerican LeagueRelief Pitcher

Bill James built a career as a starting pitcher and Steve Shields as a reliever — different jobs with different demands — but on the metrics that apply to both, a comparison is still worth making. Bill James posted stronger surface numbers — ERA 3.2 and WHIP 1.431 compared to 5.26 and 1.703 for Steve Shields. By the career numbers, Bill James had the better of this cross-role comparison — though era context would sharpen the verdict.

Pitching Stats for Bill James and Steve Shields

Bill James
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
8
8
Steve Shields
Career
Per 9 Innings
5
5
Bill James
Careerverified
Per 9 Innings
203
1.55
Steve Shields
Career
Per 9 Inningsverified
102
4.19
Bill James
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
147
1.12
Steve Shields
Career
Per 9 Innings
6
0.25
Bill James
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
65
0.5
Steve Shields
Career
Per 9 Innings
8
0.33
Bill James
Career
Per 9 Innings
71
0.54
Steve Shields
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
8
0.33
Bill James
Career
Per 9 Innings
47.79
47.79
Steve Shields
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
50
50
Bill James
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
72.41
72.41
Steve Shields
Career
Per 9 Innings
5.88
5.88
Bill James
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
68
0.52
Steve Shields
Career
Per 9 Innings
0
0
Bill James
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
9
0.07
Steve Shields
Career
Per 9 Innings
0
0
Bill James
Careerverified
Per 9 Innings
4
0.03
Steve Shields
Career
Per 9 Inningsverified
3
0.12
Bill James
Career
Per 9 Inningsverified
420
3.2
Steve Shields
Careerverified
Per 9 Innings
128
5.26
Bill James
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
3.2
3.2
Steve Shields
Career
Per 9 Innings
5.26
5.26
Bill James
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
3.79
3.79
Steve Shields
Career
Per 9 Innings
5.82
5.82
Bill James
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
4.08
4.08
Steve Shields
Career
Per 9 Innings
5.04
5.04
Bill James
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
0.256
0.256
Steve Shields
Career
Per 9 Innings
0.308
0.308
Bill James
Careerverified
Per 9 Innings
3539
27
Steve Shields
Career
Per 9 Innings
657
27
Bill James
Careerverified
Per 9 Innings
1179.2
9
Steve Shields
Career
Per 9 Innings
219
9
Bill James
Career
Per 9 Inningsverified
1110
8.47
Steve Shields
Careerverified
Per 9 Innings
269
11.05
Bill James
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
8.47
8.47
Steve Shields
Career
Per 9 Innings
11.05
11.05
Bill James
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
16
0.12
Steve Shields
Career
Per 9 Innings
32
1.32
Bill James
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
0.12
0.12
Steve Shields
Career
Per 9 Innings
1.32
1.32
Bill James
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
0.08
0.08
Steve Shields
Career
Per 9 Innings
0.31
0.31
Bill James
Career
Per 9 Innings
578
4.41
Steve Shields
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
91
3.74
Bill James
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
0
0
Steve Shields
Career
Per 9 Innings
13
0.53
Bill James
Career
Per 9 Innings
4.41
4.41
Steve Shields
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
3.74
3.74
Bill James
Careerverified
Per 9 Innings
408
3.11
Steve Shields
Career
Per 9 Inningsverified
126
5.18
Bill James
Career
Per 9 Innings
3.11
3.11
Steve Shields
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
5.18
5.18
Bill James
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
2.01
2.01
Steve Shields
Career
Per 9 Innings
1.24
1.24
Bill James
Career
Per 9 Innings
0.836
0.836
Steve Shields
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
0.991
0.991
Bill James
Career
Per 9 Inningsverified
32
0.24
Steve Shields
Careerverified
Per 9 Innings
15
0.62
Bill James
Career
Per 9 Innings
48
0.37
Steve Shields
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
3
0.12
Bill James
Career
Per 9 Inningsverified
2
0.02
Steve Shields
Careerverified
Per 9 Innings
1
0.04
Bill James
Careerverified
Per 9 Innings
4958
37.83
Steve Shields
Career
Per 9 Inningsverified
991
40.73
Bill James
Career
Per 9 Innings
29
0.22
Steve Shields
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
32
1.32
Bill James
Career
Per 9 Inningsverified
559
4.26
Steve Shields
Careerverified
Per 9 Innings
146
6
Bill James
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
4.26
4.26
Steve Shields
Career
Per 9 Innings
6
6
Bill James
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
0
0
Steve Shields
Career
Per 9 Innings
13
0.53
Bill James
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
0
0
Steve Shields
Career
Per 9 Innings
10
0.41
Bill James
Career
Per 9 Innings
0
0
Steve Shields
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
36
1.48
Bill James
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
1.431
1.431
Steve Shields
Career
Per 9 Innings
1.644
1.644
Bill James
Careerverified
Per 9 Innings
4332
33.05
Steve Shields
Career
Per 9 Inningsverified
874
35.92
Bill James
Career
Per 9 Innings
2.75
2.75
Steve Shields
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
1.43
1.43
Bill James
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
0.28
0.28
Steve Shields
Career
Per 9 Innings
0.331
0.331
Bill James
Career
Per 9 Innings
37.83
37.83
Steve Shields
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
40.73
40.73

Fielding Stats for Bill James and Steve Shields

Bill James
Careerverified
Per 9 Innings
8
Steve Shields
Career
Per 9 Inningsverified
5
5
Bill James
Careerverified
Per 9 Innings
203
Steve Shields
Career
Per 9 Inningsverified
102
4.19
Bill James
Career
Per 9 Innings
0
Steve Shields
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
6
0.25
Bill James
Career
Per 9 Innings
0
Steve Shields
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
657
27
Bill James
Career
Per 9 Innings
0
Steve Shields
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
219
9
Bill James
Careerverified
Per 9 Innings
50
Steve Shields
Career
Per 9 Inningsverified
18
0.74
Bill James
Careerverified
Per 9 Innings
384
Steve Shields
Career
Per 9 Inningsverified
24
0.99
Bill James
Career
Per 9 Inningsverified
31
Steve Shields
Careerverified
Per 9 Innings
2
0.08
Bill James
Careerverified
Per 9 Innings
465
Steve Shields
Career
Per 9 Inningsverified
44
1.81
Bill James
Careerverified
Per 9 Innings
434
Steve Shields
Career
Per 9 Inningsverified
42
1.73
Bill James
Career
Per 9 Innings
93.33
Steve Shields
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
95.45
95.45
Bill James
Careerverified
Per 9 Innings
2.138
Steve Shields
Career
Per 9 Inningsverified
0.412
0.412
Bill James
Career
Per 9 Innings
0
Steve Shields
Careerverified
Per 9 Inningsverified
5.88
5.88
Bill James
Careerverified
Per 9 Innings
15
Steve Shields
Career
Per 9 Inningsverified
3
0.12
Bill James
Career
Per 9 Innings
0
Steve Shields
Career
Per 9 Innings
0
0
Bill James
Career
Per 9 Innings
0
Steve Shields
Career
Per 9 Innings
0
0
Bill James
Career
Per 9 Innings
0
Steve Shields
Career
Per 9 Innings
0
0
Bill James
Career
Per 9 Innings
0
Steve Shields
Career
Per 9 Innings
0
0

Hitting Stats for Bill James and Steve Shields

Bill James
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
8
8
Steve Shields
Career
Per 600 PA
5
5
Bill James
Careerverified
Per 600 PA
203
294.92
Steve Shields
Career
Per 600 PAverified
102
3060
Bill James
Careerverified
Per 600 PA
413
600
Steve Shields
Career
Per 600 PA
20
600
Bill James
Careerverified
Per 600 PA
358
520.1
Steve Shields
Career
Per 600 PAverified
19
570
Bill James
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
0.143
0.143
Steve Shields
Career
Per 600 PA
0.105
0.105
Bill James
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
0.436
0.436
Steve Shields
Career
Per 600 PA
0.275
0.275
Bill James
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
51
74.09
Steve Shields
Career
Per 600 PA
2
60
Bill James
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
44
63.92
Steve Shields
Career
Per 600 PA
2
60
Bill James
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
6
8.72
Steve Shields
Career
Per 600 PA
0
0
Bill James
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
1
1.45
Steve Shields
Career
Per 600 PA
0
0
Bill James
Career
Per 600 PA
0
0
Steve Shields
Career
Per 600 PA
0
0
Bill James
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
7
10.17
Steve Shields
Career
Per 600 PA
0
0
Bill James
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
0.137
0.137
Steve Shields
Career
Per 600 PA
0
0
Bill James
Career
Per 600 PA
0
0
Steve Shields
Career
Per 600 PA
0
0
Bill James
Career
Per 600 PA
0
0
Steve Shields
Career
Per 600 PA
0
0
Bill James
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
13.08
19
Steve Shields
Career
Per 600 PA
0.3
8.92
Bill James
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
59
85.71
Steve Shields
Career
Per 600 PA
2
60
Bill James
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
81
117.68
Steve Shields
Career
Per 600 PA
3
90
Bill James
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
0.209
0.209
Steve Shields
Career
Per 600 PA
0.15
0.15
Bill James
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
0.165
0.165
Steve Shields
Career
Per 600 PA
0.105
0.105
Bill James
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
0.374
0.374
Steve Shields
Career
Per 600 PA
0.255
0.255
Bill James
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
0.022
0.022
Steve Shields
Career
Per 600 PA
0
0
Bill James
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
0.135
0.135
Steve Shields
Career
Per 600 PA
0.094
0.094
Bill James
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
0.291
0.291
Steve Shields
Career
Per 600 PA
0.177
0.177
Bill James
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
0.232
0.232
Steve Shields
Career
Per 600 PA
0.167
0.167
Bill James
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
25
36.32
Steve Shields
Career
Per 600 PA
0
0
Bill James
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
12
17.43
Steve Shields
Career
Per 600 PA
0
0
Bill James
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
37
53.75
Steve Shields
Career
Per 600 PA
0
0
Bill James
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
9.26
13.45
Steve Shields
Career
Per 600 PA
-0.29
-8.67
Bill James
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
3
4.36
Steve Shields
Career
Per 600 PA
0
0
Bill James
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
27
39.23
Steve Shields
Career
Per 600 PA
1
30
Bill James
Career
Per 600 PA
0
0
Steve Shields
Career
Per 600 PA
0
0
Bill James
Career
Per 600 PAverified
138
200.48
Steve Shields
Careerverified
Per 600 PA
7
210
Bill James
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
2.99
2.99
Steve Shields
Career
Per 600 PA
2.86
2.86
Bill James
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
0.2
0.2
Steve Shields
Career
Per 600 PA
0.14
0.14
Bill James
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
25
36.32
Steve Shields
Career
Per 600 PA
0
0
Bill James
Career
Per 600 PA
0
0
Steve Shields
Career
Per 600 PA
0
0
Bill James
Career
Per 600 PA
0
0
Steve Shields
Career
Per 600 PA
0
0
Bill James
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
1
1.45
Steve Shields
Career
Per 600 PA
0
0
Bill James
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
2
2.91
Steve Shields
Career
Per 600 PA
0
0
Bill James
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
3
4.36
Steve Shields
Career
Per 600 PA
0
0
Bill James
Careerverified
Per 600 PAverified
33.33
33.33
Steve Shields
Career
Per 600 PA