Commish’s Offerings 5-1-23

Rick Hummel is presented by:

Fast Eddie’s Bon Air

in Alton, Illinois

Remembering Mike Shannon

St Louis-

I had the privilege of being asked by Mike Shannon to do what had been a long awaited book. Last year we finished the project.

In honor of his life, 83 very full years' worth, I would like to re-visit some of the tributes paid to him by prominent sports figures in the book, entitled “Get Up, Baby.”

Tony La Russa: “I go back to the word 'stamina' with Mike. Fifty years in broadcasting. Beyond that, he had to have a very unique gift—or a talent. There's no way he would have lasted that long unless fans appreciated and enjoyed what he had to say.

"Enjoy every minute. I'd make sure you'd never take it for granted.”

Joe Buck: “I owe as much to Mike personally for my understanding of baseball as I do my dad or anybody else. My dad is No. 1 but Mike is 1A to me.

"In a word, he's beloved. You hear his voice and immediately are comforted. That's how I felt when I was away at camp and somebody had the Cardinals game on, or if I was driving back from college at the University of Indiana. The minute you picked up that radio signal, all was well. It was like a comfortable sweater and you relaxed.”

Bob Costas: “Mike Shannon knew and loved baseball. He didn't prepare the way some of us did. He didn't have to. He brought his deep knowledge of the game itself; his long history with the Cardinals and what he picked up at the batting cage or in the clubhouse from players, managers, and coaches who trusted him. Once in the booth, all he relied on was a simple lineup card and what he saw unfolding on the field below.”

Mike Claiborne: “No one is like him. No one will ever be like him. He had a sixth sense about the game, being a former player and athlete. He sees things that most of us never even thought about. He sees the game from a different angle that most commoners would ever imagine.

"He's got this homespun approach that makes everybody who's listening to a game feel like they're sitting right next to him on the back porch or on the couch. They haven't missed anything because he makes them feel like he's talking to you directly and not everybody else. And nothing stopped him. He stared death in the eye on multiple occasions. He's the only guy who gets more than nine lives. Even cats genuflect to him.”

(The late) Vin Scully: “Everything was straight from the heart. You really had a tendency to believe him. When he came into the booth, I might say something kiddingly about the Cardinals or Whitey Herzog and he would immediately jump on it with some reply that I loved. He'd give an opinion on anybody and he was always right on the money. I not only had great warmth for him but I also respected what he had to say.''

John Rooney: “His not being in the Hall of Fame is a crime. It's a shame because he sold more tickets and beer than anybody I knew. Those beer distributors—and Mike knew them all—absolutely worshipped the ground he walked on.

“They only made one Mike Shannon. Mike, this Bud's for you!

Hopefully, some of these may inspire you to buy the book. There are many, many more.