Dorri Partain
Contributor

Royals Stadium was brand-spanking new when Kansas City hosted the 1973 All-Star Game.

Votes for the selected players were tabulated using a ballot sponsored by the Gillette Company; fans were able to select their favorite players for each position and each league by punching out the perforated square next to each name.

Fans also had the option of writing in up to 8 players that didn’t make the official ballot, which could be dropped into ballot boxes during a game or mailed in.

Two Royals players played in the starting lineup for the American League, outfielder Amos Otis and first baseman John Mayberry.

Mayberry was moved from the second lineup to the first after Dick Allen of the Chicago White Sox was injured prior to the game that took place on July 24th.

Second baseman Cookie Rojas was voted into the second lineup. Royals players that were nominated but didn’t receive enough votes to play included shortstop Freddie Patek and outfielders Lou Piniella and Frank White.

40,849 fans filled the stadium as Royals owner Ewing Kauffman, along with Lefty Gomez and Bill Hallahan, threw out the ceremonial first pitches.

Gomez and Hallahan played in the first All-Star game in 1933; inspired by the Chicago Exposition taking place that year, sports editor Arch Ward of the Chicago Tribune championed the idea of a game featuring favorite players from the American and Nationals Leagues.

Sparky Anderson, manager for the Cincinnati Reds led the National League to a 7-1 win over the American League team, led by Oakland A’s manager Dick Williams.

The Royals hosted the 83rd annual All-Star Game at the renamed Kauffman Stadium July 10, 2012.

Paper ballots were discontinued in favor of online voting in 2014.