Who is the man: Mike Shannon endured a difficult 1970 season after being diagnosed with a kidney disease in spring training. He was allowed to return to playing in May, but he struggled and by August his condition had worsened and doctors ended his season.
Can ya dig it: This is Shannon's final Topps card issued during his career.
Right on: The setting for this photo is very similar to the one on his 1970 card, except Shannon is not wearing a jacket under his uniform on his '70 card.
You see that cat Shannon is a bad mother: Shannon hit a couple of key World Series home runs for the Cardinals. He launched a game-tying home run off of Whitey Ford in Game 1 of the 1964 Series. In 1967, he hit a homer off of the Red Sox's Gary Bell in the second inning of Game 3, putting the Cardinals up 3-0 in an eventual 5-3 victory.
Shut your mouth: Shannon has been a broadcaster for the Cardinals for more than 45 years. He started the year after his baseball career ended, joining Jack Buck in the booth.
No one understands him but his woman: Shannon married his longtime girlfriend, Lori Bergman in 2015. His first wife of 48 years, Judy, died of cancer in 2007.
(A word about the back): Sorry, hopeful Topps bio writer, Shannon would not be back before the end of the season. Those are his career-final totals.
I find it amazing that a 1971 card talks about something that happened at the start of the 1971 season. It kind of puts to shame all of the airbrushing and use of old photos in other cards.
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