Mike is a native of St. Louis, and was a baseball and football star both in high school and at the University of Missouri. He left college to sign with the Cardinals in 1958, and played in the minors for several seasons before making his big-league debut in September 1962.
Shannon began the ’63 season in the minors, then was called up in July and used primarily as a pinch-runner and backup corner outfielder.
In 1964 Mike played with the Cardinals for the season’s first month, then was sent down to triple-A. He returned in late-July and was the starting right fielder for 59 of the final 83 games, and in the ’64 World Series. He collected 6 hits, 1 homer, and 2 RBI against the Yankees as the Cardinals won the Series.
Shannon was the starting right fielder for the first week of 1965, but spent much of the season on the bench due to a prolonged batting slump. He started 45 games in right field and another 11 games as Curt Flood’s backup in center field. Mike also caught a few games due to injuries to both catchers.
He returned to the starting lineup in mid-May 1966, starting 110 games in right field that season. Mike reached career highs in home runs (16) and batting average (.288) in 1966.
As mentioned at the top, Shannon moved in to 3rd base at the start of the 1967 season, and remained there for the final 4 seasons of his career. Mike appeared in 2 more World Series (’67, ’68), homering in each.
In 1970 the Cardinals alternated Shannon and Joe Torre at 3rd base (with Torre also spending time behind the plate). Mike only played in 55 games that season, his last coming on August 12th.
A kidney disease ended his playing career in 1970, but he moved to the broadcast booth in 1971 and has been calling Cardinals’ games ever since. In 2014 he was inducted into the Cardinals’ Hall of Fame.
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