Shooty Babitt is a Bay Area native, growing up in Oakland. Babitt was drafted by the Oakland Athletics as a second-baseman in 1977, and made his Major League debut in 1981. Over seven years in the minors, split between the A's (1977-82) and the Montreal Expos (1982-84), he compiled a .272 batting average with 606 hits and 259 RBIs.

Babitt continued to work in Major League Baseball after his playing career, holding scouting positions with both the Arizona Diamondbacks and the New York Mets. His experience on and off the field and his connections to the Bay Area made him well-suited for his current position as the co-host of A's Pregame Live and A's Postgame Live on Comcast SportsNet California.

Shooty's son, Zach Babitt, is an infielder on the Urban Knights baseball team.