send parameters to a batch file with the shell command

Hi,
I've tried succesfully to call a batch macro from excel with the shell
command.
But when I add parameters to the shell pathname it does not work.

assume the batch file x.bat content is:
echo year is %1
pause

The following works well:
Dim RetVal
mycmd = "C:\temp\x.bat"
RetVal = Shell(mycmd, 1)

but:
Dim RetVal
mycmd = "C:\temp\x.bat 2006"
RetVal = Shell(mycmd, 1)

does not work.

Any help will be appreciated
Marcos