- Mike Shannon
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Mike Shannon
Shannon in 1983Third baseman/Outfielder Born: July 15, 1939
St. Louis, MissouriBatted: Right Threw: Right MLB debut September 11, 1962 for the St. Louis Cardinals Last MLB appearance August 12, 1970 for the St. Louis Cardinals Career statistics Batting average .255 Home runs 68 Hits 710 Runs batted in 367 Teams Career highlights and awards - 2x World Series champion (1964, 1967)
Thomas Michael Shannon (born July 15, 1939) is an American-born former Major League Baseball player and current radio sportscaster.
Shannon is a radio broadcaster for the St. Louis Cardinals. He was raised in St. Louis, Missouri and played with the Cardinals during some of the team's most successful years. Additionally, he is the proprietor of Mike Shannon's Steaks and Seafood in downtown St. Louis.
Contents
Biography
Early life
Shannon was born and raised in south St. Louis. He attended grade school at Epiphany of Our Lord Catholic School, and graduated high school from Christian Brothers College High School in 1957. He attended the University of Missouri before leaving to begin his professional baseball career. Shannon has commented that if football players were paid better during his era, he probably would have stayed at Missouri, and sought a professional football career. He believed himself a better football player, and his former coach, Frank Broyles, commented that had he stayed in school, Shannon might have won the Heisman Trophy.[1]
Playing career
Shannon began his big-league career with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1962. In 1964, he became the team's regular right fielder, shifting to third base (in order to make room for the newly acquired Roger Maris) in 1967. Shannon played in three World Series for the Cardinals. He hit a game-tying two-run homer off Whitey Ford in the Game 1 of the 1964 World Series against the New York Yankees, which St. Louis won 9-5. In Game 3 of the 1967 World Series against the Boston Red Sox, Shannon hit a key home run off Gary Bell. In Game 7 of the 1968 World Series against the Detroit Tigers, Shannon's solo home run off Mickey Lolich was the Cardinals' only run off Lolich as the Tigers clinched. Shannon also hit the last home run in the original Busch Stadium (Sportsman's Park) in 1966 and the first one in the second Busch Stadium (Busch Memorial Stadium). In 1970, he contracted nephritis, a kidney disease, which ended his playing career.
Broadcasting career
Shannon joined the Cardinals' promotional staff in 1971; a year later he moved to the team's radio booth. For almost three decades Shannon was paired with Hall of Fame announcer Jack Buck on AM 1120 KMOX doing the color commentary. Following Buck's death in 2002, he was named the team's lead radio voice, teaming with Joel Meyers (2002), Wayne Hagin (2003–2005), and John Rooney (2006–present). In 2006, he moved to AM 550 KTRS which had won broadcasting rights for the Cardinals. For the 2011 season KMOX regained the rights for Cardinals Broadcasting and Shannon returned to his former employer.
Shannon received an Emmy Award for his work on Cardinal broadcasts in 1985, Shannon is a 1999 inductee of the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame.[2]
On Saturday nights after a Cardinals home game, Shannon traditionally hosts a sports chat show from his restaurant, which is one block north from Busch Stadium.
Shannon's trademark home run call is "Here's a long one to left/center/right, get up baby, get up, get up...oh yeah!"
During the 1980s, Shannon worked as a backup analyst (behind the main analysts, Joe Garagiola and Tony Kubek) for NBC's Game of the Week telecasts (typically working with play-by-play man Jay Randolph).
Preceded by
Gaylord PerryMajor League Player of the Month
July, 1966Succeeded by
Pete RoseReferences
External links
- Baseball-Reference.com - career statistics and analysis
- Biography - Mike Shannon's Restaurant
St. Louis Cardinals Based in St. Louis, Missouri Franchise History · Seasons · Records · No-hitters · Awards & League Leaders · Roster · Players · Managers · General Managers and Owners · Broadcasters · Opening Day starting pitchers · First-round draft picks · All articlesBallparks Robison Field · Sportsman's Park · Busch Memorial Stadium · Busch Stadium
Spring Training: McKechnie Field · City Island Ball Park · Al Lang Stadium · Roger Dean StadiumCulture Cardinal Nation · Fredbird · Gashouse Gang · KMOX · Rally Squirrel · Seat Cushion Night · WhiteyballLore Rivalries Retired numbers Key personnel Owner: Bill DeWitt, Jr. General Manager: John Mozeliak Manager: vacantMinors AAA: Memphis Redbirds AA: Springfield Cardinals A: (high) Palm Beach Cardinals · (low) Quad Cities River Bandits · (short-season) Batavia Muckdogs Rookie: Johnson City Cardinals · Gulf Coast League Cardinals · Dominican Summer CardinalsWorld Series
ChampionshipsLeague pennants Division titles Wild card titles 2001 · 2011Seasons (128) 1880s-1890s 1900s-1910s 1920s-1930s 1940s-1950s 1960s-1970s 1980s-1990s 2000s-2010s St. Louis Cardinals 1964 World Series Champions 9 Bob Uecker | 11 Jerry Buchek | 12 Bill White | 14 Ken Boyer | 15 Tim McCarver | 17 Carl Warwick | 18 Mike Shannon | 19 Bob Skinner | 20 Lou Brock | 21 Curt Flood | 22 Gordie Richardson | 23 Charlie James | 24 Dick Groat | 25 Julián Javier | 26 Ed Spezio | 27 Dal Maxvill | 31 Curt Simmons | 33 Barney Schultz | 35 Mike Cuellar | 37 Ray Sadecki | 39 Ron Taylor | 41 Roger Craig | 44 Ray Washburn | 45 Bob Gibson (World Series MVP) | 47 Bob Humphreys
Manager 5 Johnny Keane
Coaches: 2 Red Schoendienst | 3 Joe Schultz | 4 Howie Pollet | 8 Vern BensonRegular season St. Louis Cardinals 1967 World Series Champions 9 Roger Maris | 10 Dave Ricketts | 11 Eddie Bressoud | 15 Tim McCarver | 16 Phil Gagliano | 17 Bobby Tolan | 18 Mike Shannon | 20 Lou Brock | 21 Curt Flood | 23 Jack Lamabe | 25 Julián Javier | 26 Ed Spiezio | 27 Dal Maxvill | 30 Orlando Cepeda | 31 Dick Hughes | 32 Steve Carlton | 34 Nelson Briles | 36 Ron Willis | 39 Larry Jaster | 43 Joe Hoerner | 44 Ray Washburn | 45 Bob Gibson (World Series MVP) | 46 Hal Woodeshick
Manager 2 Red Schoendienst
Coaches: 3 Joe Schultz | 4 Billy Muffett | 5 Dick Sisler | 8 Bob MillikenRegular season Categories:- American Roman Catholics
- American people of Irish descent
- Major League Baseball announcers
- Baseball players from Missouri
- Major League Baseball right fielders
- Major League Baseball third basemen
- Missouri Tigers baseball players
- People from St. Louis, Missouri
- St. Louis Cardinals broadcasters
- St. Louis Cardinals players
- 1939 births
- Living people
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