Born in Cleveland, Ohio, he batted left-handed, threw right-handed, stood 6 feet (1.8 m) tall and weighed 178 pounds (81 kg).

[1] In 47 MLB games as a pinch hitter and backup infielder, Shannon collected 27 hits, including five doubles.

In 65 Major League games, Shannon had 31 hits and a lifetime batting average of .263.

After his retirement as a player, Shannon was a scout for the New York Mets during Bing Devine's tenure as the team's president.

Shannon died at Creve Coeur, Missouri, from a heart attack at the age of 59.