street. LOUIS — Mike Shannon, beloved radio broadcaster and two-time World Series champion for the St. Louis Cardinals, has died at the age of 83.
Shannon has spent more than 60 years with the Cardinals organization, including 50 years as a member of the team’s radio broadcast. On radio shows, Shannon was known for it “Get up, baby!” calls When the Cardinals have turned in home runs.
A native of St. Louis, Shannon broke into the major leagues with the Cardinals in 1962. He patrolled at and out of third base for nine seasons winning World Series titles in 1964 and 1967.
Shannon’s career as a baseball player was cut short by a kidney disease, though he dedicated his life to the Cardinals thereafter. Shannon debuted on the Cardinals Radio Network alongside Hall of Fame announcer Jack Buck in 1972, forming a bond through which the two called nearly three decades of games together on 1120 KMOX.
Shannon officially became the Cardinals’ lead radio voice in 2002 after Buck’s death. He reached the milestone of 50 years in the broadcast booth in 2021, retiring from the KMOX waves after that season.
Shannon has in recent years been honored by the National Baseball Hall of Fame as a finalist for the prestigious Ford C. Frick Broadcasting Award. He was officially inducted into the St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame in 2014.
His decorated career includes many honors beyond that. In 1985, Shannon received his first Sportscasting Emmy Award. He was also named “Sportscaster of the Year” for Missouri by the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association (NSSA) in 2002, 2003, and 2014.
Over the years, Shannon has also appeared with the Cardinals on their television shows, occasionally as a pregame analyst for Fox Sports Midwest. He also worked with NBC’s Baseball Game of the Week and called St. Louis Cardinals football games on the radio.
One of Shannon’s finest moments as a player came during Game 1 of the 1964 World Series, when he hit a game-tying homer. The Cardinals went on to win the game-opener and defeat the Yankees in the championship by seven games.
Shannon batted . 255 with 68 home runs and 367 RBI as a player. He produced his best regular season campaign in 1967, when he hit . 266 with 15 home runs, 79 RBI and finished seventh in NL MVP voting.
“The Cardinals family was saddened to learn this morning of the passing of beloved family Cardinals Hall of Fame and St. Louis Mike Shannon,” said Cardinals owner and CEO Bill DeWitt. His teammates 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, friends, and many of his fans.”
His son, Tim Shannon, stated on behalf of the Shannon family: “My father’s life was epitomized by his devotion to his family, friends, the Cardinals organization, and the St. Louis community.” “My father lived his life to the fullest, and he took every last drop of it.”
Shannon is the second longtime broadcaster with Cardinals ties to pass away in 2023. Tim McCarver, a teammate with Shannon in the 60s, died at the age of 81 in February.
“Student. Incurable problem solver. Amateur baconaholic. Introvert. Infuriatingly humble music fanatic.”