Mike Shannon and I had at least three things in common.
First, we grew up St. Louis Cardinals fans and stayed Cardinals fans. Sure, he would play for the Cardinals for almost a decade, win two World Series titles, and then broadcast for 50 years. But first and foremost, he remained a fan.
Second, he was a fan of the Nine Network program “Donnybrook,” on which I serve as a weekly panelist. In July 2020, the panel had the honor of interviewing Shannon for a way-too-fun 30 minutes. Donnybrook | July 23, 2020 (ninepbs.org)
Third, he and I shared a passion for ponies. I was at Fairmount Park on a Martin Luther King Day afternoon when I felt a tap on my shoulder. It was Shannon. “Hey, I just wanted to tell you how much I like that show.” It was Jan. 21, 2008. I remember because Mayor Francis Slay Jr. had been booed off the stage at the Old Courthouse earlier that day.
Shannon became a Cardinal in 1962. As far as Major League Baseball players, managers, and front office personnel were concerned, you were either inviting to Black players or not. Shannon was.
Throughout his career, and life after baseball, he shared his respect and admiration for iconic trailblazing teammates Bill White, Bob Gibson, Lou Brock, and Curt Flood.
Flood challenged baseball’s reserve clause in 1970 and refused to report to the Philadelphia Phillies after he was traded. His lawsuit would reach the US Supreme Court, where he lost.
Baseball then turned its back on Flood. Shannon refused to do so.
In a 2015 discussion with the late Tim McCarver, Shannon called Flood “one of the greatest thinkers in this business.”
“If you look at list of people eligible for the Cardinals Hall of Fame, Curt Flood was among the best.”
KMOX Broadcaster and Missouri Sports hall of Fame member Mike Claiborne credits Shannon with his getting a shot to be a Cardinals broadcaster.
“Teammate. Best friend. Caring. I mean all the good things you would hope to be in a person, he summed up everything. … You know, Mike Shannon never met a stranger, and I think that’s what makes him so special,” Claiborne wrote on Twitter.
Other condolences included:
Ozzie Smith: “The Cardinals have lost another legend. Mike Shannon was a Cardinal mainstay and unmistakable voice of Cardinal Nation. There will never be another Mike Shannon. May he Rest In Peace as he joins these other amazing men in Cardinal heaven.”
Rene Knott: “The news of Mike Shannon’s passing breaks my heart. No one was nicer and more genuine with me than Mike. My thoughts and prayers go out to his family. I just know that laugh and “Big Boy” are echoing in heaven right now.
Joe Buck: “I learned broadcasting from my father (Hall of Fame announcer Jack Buck) but I learned baseball from Mike. He was a loyal and great man. I didn’t know anyone who had more fun.”
Earl Austin, Jr.: “We say goodbye to a St Louis legend today. Thanks to my friend Mike Claiborne, I had the honor of being a guest on his Friday night postgame show “Live at Mike Shannon’s” from his restaurant. The first hour, we talked about one of my book projects. The second hour we just sat back and listened to [Shannon] free style with one great story after another. It was funny and captivating. I’ll never forget that night. He was priceless.”
The Reid Roundup
After Sunday’s loss to the L.A. Dodgers, the Cardinals were 1-5 after sending rookie Jordan Walker down to Triple-A Memphis. Walker’s hitting woes have continued. He was hitting just .188 [3-for-16] at Memphis with a home run…Rumors persist that running back Ezekiel Elliott could return to the Dallas Cowboys in 2023 – even after the Cowboys drafted former Kansas State star Deuce Vaughn in the sixth round…Vaughn’s father Chris Vaughn, Cowboys’ assistant director of college scouting, was in Dallas’ draft room and called his son to notify him of the selection. Dad was moved to tears as he hugged everyone in the room…My American League team is the Chicago White Sox, and I can tell you things could be a lot worse in St. Louis.
