(Updated July 15, 2020)
When the time came for Mike Shannon to choose a career path in either baseball or football, it put Bing Devine and Dan Devine at odds with one another.
On June 11, 1958, Shannon passed on a football future at the University of Missouri and signed a professional baseball contract with the Cardinals.
Missouri head coach Dan Devine was upset with the Cardinals and their general manager, Bing Devine, for taking a gifted quarterback away from college football.
“I’m bitterly disappointed and disillusioned by the mechanics of the signing for reasons I don’t want to discuss publicly,” Dan Devine said to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
The next day, Bing Devine called Dan Devine to discuss the matter and the conversation ended on “an amicable note,” the Post-Dispatch reported.
Cardinals courtship
Thomas Michael Shannon, called Mike, was born in St. Louis on July 15, 1939. His father, Tom, was a police officer who earned a law degree and became a prosecuting attorney for the city of St. Louis.
Mike Shannon was a multi-sport athlete at Christian Brothers College High School in St. Louis. He was the quarterback on the football team and his running back was Dick Musial, son of the Cardinals’ Stan Musial.
In 1957, Shannon accepted a football scholarship to the University of Missouri from head coach Frank Broyles. At that time, freshmen weren’t eligible to play for the varsity. After the 1957 season, Broyles left Missouri for Arkansas, and Dan Devine replaced him.
Shannon played quarterback in Missouri’s intrasquad spring game in April 1958 and threw a 23-yard touchdown pass. Dan Devine had big plans for Shannon in his sophomore season.
When Shannon returned home to St. Louis for the summer, he joined a baseball team in the Ban Johnson League for top amateurs. The hometown Cardinals were well aware of Shannon since his high school days and kept track of him.
On June 8, 1958, a part-time Cardinals scout, George Hasser, watched Shannon in a game at Heman Park in St. Louis and filed a glowing report to full-time Cardinals scout Joe Monahan.
The next night, Monahan, Hasser and Cardinals farm director Walter Shannon (no relation) went to see Mike Shannon play in a game at Scott Air Base. He worked out for the Cardinals at Busch Stadium on June 10. The next day, Shannon signed a $50,000 contract with them.
Years later, Shannon told the Post-Dispatch, “Back then, there wasn’t any money in football. If there would have been, I would have stayed with football. I enjoyed it at Mizzou and I would have played three years there. I think I had a lot more ability as a football player than a baseball player.”
Special talent
Before the deal was announced, Bing Devine called Missouri athletic director Don Faurot to inform him Shannon wouldn’t be returning to school. “I told Don that I know Missouri can’t score touchdowns with our expressions of regret, but baseball is our business,” Bing Devine told the Post-Dispatch.
Missouri athletic staff were stung by baseball’s ability to lure athletes away from the school before their eligibility expired. Shannon was the second football player to leave Missouri and sign with the baseball Cardinals in 1958. Running back Charlie James was the other. Also, soon after Shannon turned pro, Missouri basketball player Sonny Siebert signed a baseball contract with the Indians.
Dan Devine said Shannon had “the greatest potential of any back we had on our squad … He showed me more ability in the spring than any kid I ever worked with … Potentially one of the greatest.”
Dan Devine and Bing Devine were not related, but Dan caustically referred to “cousin Bing” when talking to Missouri booster groups about how the Cardinals wooed Shannon.
St. Louis broadcaster Jay Randolph said years later he asked Frank Broyles about Shannon and the coach replied, “If he had stayed in school, he may have won the Heisman Trophy” as college football’s best player, the Post-Dispatch reported.
Shannon, who turned 19 a month after signing with the Cardinals, was assigned to their Class D minor-league team in Albany, Ga., in June 1958 and batted .322 with 54 RBI in 62 games as an outfielder.
In February 1959, Shannon married Judith Ann Bufe and they began a family.
Shannon spent four more seasons (1959-62) in the minor leagues until getting promoted to the Cardinals in September 1962. He was an outfielder and third baseman for them until a kidney ailment caused him to quit playing in August 1970. In 21 games in three World Series with the Cardinals, Shannon produced 19 hits, including three home runs.
In 1972, Shannon began a successful second career as a Cardinals broadcaster.
Two of Shannon’s sons, Tim Shannon and Michael Shannon, followed in their father Mike’s football footsteps. Tim played for the University of Southern California and Michael played for Indiana State.
RetroSimba 
Much love for Mike Shannon. Killer rightfielder, and a game thirdbaseman. Had a little pop in that bat. His announcing could be goofy, but that was Moonman and part of his charm.
One of the last of the great Cardinals characters. He’s been employed by the Cardinals continuously from 1958 to 2018. Wow! Will never see his likes again. Cherish the broadcasts while we can.
I’m reminded of a story that Mike told in an interview some years ago regarding his longtime colleague and mentor, the great Jack Buck. It’s the night of Sept. 10th 1974. In the bottom of the first Lou Brock stole his 104th base tying Maury Wills. In the bottom of the seventh Brock singles to get on base. Mike then goes on to say that Jack put his arm on his shoulder and even though he didn”t say a word it was clear that Jack wanted him to have the honor of doing the play by play. Mike goes on to say there was no way that someone like him who was still a bit green behind the ears was going to deprive Jack of calling a possible record breaking stolen base attempt. According to Mike without saying a word he got up, left the broadcast booth and didn’t return till after Brock swiped n.105.
Great anecdote! Thanks for sharing it.
Tim went to usc mike went to Indiana state as a QB
Thank you, Erin. I knew about Tim and included it in my original post, but I didn’t know about Michael. I contacted the sports information office at Indiana State today and they confirmed Michael Shannon played in 1978, 1979 and 1980. I have updated my post to include the info on Michael. Congratulations to all the Shannon family members for the contributions they make on and off the athletic field.
Drawing on his football past, KMOX had Mike Shannon do the color on the radio broadcasts of the football Cardinals their last year or two in St. Louis.
Thanks for advising. I did not know that. It would have been fun to hear Mike refer to Vai Sikahema.