Longtime St. Louis Cardinals broadcaster Mike Shannon has died, the team announced Sunday. He was 83. No cause of death with given.
"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 and CEO Bill DeWitt Jr. said in a statement. "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."
"My dad's life was encapsulated by his devotion to his family, his friends, the Cardinals organization and the St. Louis community," Tim Shannon, Mike's son, said on behalf of the family in a statement. "My dad lived his life to the fullest, and he squeezed every drop from it."
Born and raised in St. Louis, Shannon sign with the Cardinals as an amateur free agent in 1958 and reached the big leagues at age 23 in 1962. He was the club's starting right fielder during their 1964 World Series championship run before moving to third base in deference to new addition Roger Maris in 1967. Shannon started at the hot corner during the Cardinals' 1967 World Series run.
In Game 1 of the 1964 Fall Classic, Shannon hit a game-tying two-run home run against New York Yankees lefty Whitey Ford. St. Louis went on to win the game and series.
Shannon's playing career was cut short by kidney disease. He played his entire nine-season career with the Cardinals from 1962-70 and retired as a .255/.311/.387 hitter with 710 hits and 68 home runs. Shannon finished seventh in the 1968 NL MVP voting and had his best season in 1966, when he slashed .288/.339/.462 and set career highs in homers (16) and stolen bases (eight). He won two World Series titles (1964, 1967) plus another NL pennant (1968).
Following his playing career, Shannon joined the Cardinals front office in 1971 and then moved into the broadcast booth in 1972. He retired following the 2021 season, after 50 years of calling Cardinals games. Shannon also worked NBC's Baseball Game of the Week and called St. Louis Cardinals NFL games on radio during his career.
Among countless other accolades, Shannon was inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame in 1999 and the St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame in 2014. Shannon spent 62 years with the Cardinals organization overall.
