Cardinals legend Mike Shannon dies at 83
ST. LOUIS, Mo. (KMIZ)
St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Famer and legendary broadcaster Mike Shannon died at the age of 83 on Sunday morning, the team announced.
The former player and St. Louis native is survived by his first wife, three sons, three daughters and wife. He had 18 grandchildren and nine great grandchildren.
“The St. Louis Cardinals were saddened to learn this morning of the passing of Cardinals Hall of Famer and beloved St. Louisan Mike Shannon,” Cardinals’ Owner & Chief Executive Officer Bill DeWitt, Jr. said in a press release. “Mike’s unique connection to Cardinals fans and his teammates was reflected in his unbridled passion for the game, the Cardinals, and the St. Louis community. On behalf of the entire Cardinals organization, we share our condolences with Mike’s family and friends, and his many fans.”
Before becoming the voice of the Cardinals, Shannon was a two-time World Series champion with the club, spending more than 60 years with the Red Bird organization. He spent his entire big league career with the birds on the bat, from 1962 to 1970. Shannon's playing career was, unfortunately, cut short, due to kidney disease, but he was just getting started in the Cardinals clubhouse.
In 1972, Shannon joined fellow Cardinals legend Jack Buck in the broadcast booth. The two-time World Series champion spent 50 years behind the microphone, as a member of St. Louis' radio broadcast. He also made appearances on television, including working as a pregame analyst for Fox Sports Midwest. He also worked with NBC’s Baseball Game of the Week and called St. Louis Cardinals NFL football games on radio.
He retired from the KMOX broadcast after 50 years in 2021.
Mike Shannon and Cardinal baseball were one and the same.
“My dad’s life was encapsulated by his devotion to his family, his friends, the Cardinals organization and the St. Louis community,” stated his son Tim Shannon, said in a press release. “My dad lived his life to the fullest, and he squeezed every drop from it.”
The Cardinals Hall of Famer was as gifted on the field as he was on the mic. He attended CBC High School, in St. Louis, where he was the Missouri Prep Player of the Year in both basketball and football, the only player ever to receive that honor in the same year.
After high school, he came to Mizzou as a college quarterback, before he eventually signed a contract to play for the Cardinals.
Awards weren't just limited to his playing years, either. He received the 1985 Emmy Award for Sports Broadcasting, was the SportsCaster of the year for the state of Missouri from the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association and was inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame in recognition for his on-air career and as a player in May of 2013.
