HR0823 95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0823 LRB095 14371 GRL 40273 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are pleased to congratulate Mike Shannon on the occasion of his 50th year with the St. Louis Cardinals; and

WHEREAS, Mike Shannon was born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri; he graduated from Christian Brothers College High School in 1957; he attended the University of Missouri before leaving to begin his professional baseball career; and

WHEREAS, Mike Shannon began his big-league career with the St. Louis Cardinals when he was signed as an amateur free agent in 1958; he played his first professional game on September 11, 1962; in 1964, he became the Cardinal's regular right fielder, shifting to third base in 1967; he played in three World Series for the Cardinals, hitting a game-tying two-run home run in the Game 1 of the 1964 World Series against the New York Yankees, which the Cardinals won 9-5, a key home run in Game 3 of the 1967 World Series against the Boston Red Sox, and a solo home run in Game 7 of the 1968 World Series against the Detroit Tigers; he also hit the last home run in the original Busch Stadium in 1966 and the first one in the second Busch Stadium; he retired from playing baseball in 1970 due to illness; and

WHEREAS, Mike Shannon joined the Cardinals promotional staff in 1971 as assistant director of promotions and sales; in 1973, he moved to the team's radio booth, where he was paired with Hall of Fame announcer Jack Buck over station KMOX and the rest of the Cardinals' radio network; he was awarded an Emmy Award for Sports Broadcasting for his work on Cardinal broadcasts in 1985; following Buck's death in 2002, he was named as the team's lead radio voice, where he has become a favorite of Cardinals fans across the nation for his conversation style and famous chuckle; and

WHEREAS, Mike Shannon has been the recipient of many awards in honor of his many achievements; he was named the Missouri Prep Player of the Year in 1957 for basketball and football, the only player ever to receive both in the same year; he was named the St. Louis Ambassador's 1993 Sportsman of the Year; he was honored by the St. Louis Variety Club in 1996; he is also a 1999 inductee of the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame; and

WHEREAS, Mike Shannon's dedication to the game of baseball and to his loyal fans makes him a model for the people of the State of Illinois; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate Mike Shannon on the occasion of his 50th year with the St. Louis Cardinals and wish him continued success and happiness in his future endeavors; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Mike Shannon as a symbol of our esteem and respect.