Some voices have certain magic about them. They may tell a story, narrate an event or capture a moment in time. They can take you back or beckon you forward; they can evoke vivid emotions.

Some voices are like that.

I became a member of Cardinal Nation on June 4, 1989.  It’s also the day I was born – a minor coincidence. A lot has happened – three presidents, two popes, Y2K. But there has only been one voice, and he was there for me on Friday, Oct. 27, 2006:

“An 0-2 pitch. Wainwright has the sign he wants. He brings it home. Swing and a miss! The Cardinals are World Champions for 2006! The 10th World Championship in their illustrious franchise history, and it goes to No. 10, the Cardinal manager, Tony La Russa.”

I’m talking about “The Voice of the Cardinals” – Mr. Mike Shannon, who this year celebrates his 40th year behind the microphone for KMOX and the Redbirds.

Consider this – in 40 years, Shannon has called more than 6,000 games, including some of the most memorable moments in Cardinals history – like 31 World Series games, the rise of Ozzie Smith and Albert Pujols and Mark McGwire’s record-breaking 70th homerun.

So, how did Mike Shannon become one of the most beloved and celebrated broadcasters in sports history?

Mike was a gifted athlete – an All-American football player at CBC in St. Louis, he went on to play football at the University of Missouri; but, as he puts it, the sports world was heading toward baseball, and so he followed.

He joined the Cardinals in 1962 and became the regular right fielder during the 1964 World Series Championship season; three years later, he won another World Series.

Then he had his career cut short in 1970 by nephritis, a kidney disorder.

The Cardinals considered moving him to the dugout in the minors, but they opted, instead, to send him to the booth in 1972, to join Hall of Famer Jack Buck.

Remember, this was before ESPN – before the “retired” athletes went to the booth to opine about their former teammates. If you were a player and your career was over, you faded into oblivion.

Not with Shannon. The rest is history.

And now, about that voice.

I met Mike Shannon in the KMOX booth before a recent home game against the Atlanta Braves. My first question: If I would have told you 40 years ago you would be sitting here, with fans celebrating your accomplishments, would have you said I was crazy?

“I don’t know if I’d thought you were crazy, but I probably wouldn’t have paid any attention to you,” he answers, with his one-of-a-kind chuckle. “Somebody asked me if I’d be interested in the broadcasting business, and I said, yeah, I would be. But I knew I was going in with Jack Buck; and he was the best in the business.

“So I figured I could learn, and learn in a hurry, just by sitting next to him. And it turned out alright.”

But there was one problem: Shannon was used to fielding balls, not question and answers. And when you’re sitting next to a legend like Buck, not to mention the hundreds of thousands of Cardinals fans listening on the dial, there’s not much room for learning. Perhaps that’s why Mike has become a fan favorite.

“Oh, I remember those first few years,” he laughs. “The biggest problem in the transition was that I had no idea about the fundamentals or basics of the business. It’s good – in one way, because what came over the air, a lot of times, was something fresh and original. But, I didn’t know any of the mechanics.”

And it’s exactly that fresh and original approach to the game that has made Shannon so successful.

You just never know what the man might say. Known for his “Shannonisms” – for example, “A hit up the middle right now would be like a nice ham sandwich and a cold, frosty one.” – the KMOX staple has never feared to speak his mind.

“What I say … there’s not much pre-thought to my broadcasting,” Shannon said. “Boom. It comes out, plain and simple. Oh, I’ve had fun with it. About 10 percent of those [Shannonisms] are true, and they’ve somehow, someway, grown.” He laughs and adds, “I enjoy it.”

His style has also led to one of the most recognizable calls in the history of baseball. Though his mentor Buck was known for saying “That’s a winner!,” Shannon’s unique home-run call has become part of St. Louis lore.

On Sept. 27, 1998. Mark McGwire had hit 69 home runs. It’s the third inning at Busch, and the crowd is ready for No. 70.

“Swing! Get up baby, get up, get up, get up! Home run! He’s done it again! Take a ride on that for history!” There’s no sweeter call in all of baseball.

As with most of Shannon’s broadcasting career, his trademark happened by chance. “Happened totally by accident,” he said, smiling. “If someone hit a line drive, I said, “Get up, get up, get up,” and folks got onto it, and they enjoy it. If it comes up in a game, you know, I don’t do it every time; but it’s fun to do.”

And now the Cardinals are asking their fan base to get their main man into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

Their “Like Mike” campaign, through Facebook, asks fans to nominate Shannon for the 2012 Ford C. Frick Award, the award given to recognize “major contributions to baseball” by a broadcaster.

Previous winners include Harry Caray, Bob Uecker, Buck and Vin Scully.

“Just to be considered with men of that caliber, that’s compliment enough, plain and simple,” Shannon said. “You couldn’t find finer individuals – that’s what you have to be most proud of, that you rub hands and elbows with men like Vin Scully and the people who are in the Hall of Fame.”

And perhaps that’s all Mike Shannon has left to accomplish.

So what keeps “the Voice of the Cardinals” coming back to Busch each and every day?

“Just seeing the fans come in here. You know, people plan their whole summer around Cardinals baseball,” he said. “The traditions go back so far – they’ll say I remember when my mom, dad, grandfather, uncle, brought me here. It’s phenomenal.

“Don’t you dare tread on tradition – you’ll get yourself in trouble, I’ll tell you that,” he laughs. “It’s a very serious business, but you have to take it lightheartedly.”

It’s Mike’s time. As Cardinals team president Bill DeWitt III says, “Longevity? He’s done that. Continuity with one club? He’s done that. He’s had honors. And popularity with the fans?. Well, that’s a no-brainer.”

There’s no way around it – putting Mike Shannon in the Hall of Fame is, like Mike says, as sure as a stee-rike call, right down central.