Royals Drop First Series After All Star Break To White Sox

The 2012 MLB All Star game has come and gone, and the Royals kicked off the second half of the 2012 MLB season with a home series against the Chicago White Sox. Unfortunately, Kansas City dropped two of three in the series, falling to 38-49 for the season.

It was an up and down series for Kansas City, as the team first lost a 14 inning marathon Friday night before rallying for a 6-3 victory Saturday. In today's rubber match, the Royals faced one of the best pitchers in the league in Chris Sale, and could only muster a single run in a 2-1 loss. The poor offensive performance wasted a strong pitching effort from Luis Mendoza, who only allowed two runs and four hits in over seven innings of work.

While the series loss is disappointing, the team has a great opportunity to pick up some wins and get back into contention with its upcoming series. The Royals' next seven games are all at home, against the struggling Seattle Mariners and Minnesota Twins. The team hits the road for a three game series with the Angels before beginning another four game series with the Mariners in Seattle. If there was ever a stretch in the season in which the Royals could make a move, it is the next couple of weeks. We will see if the team can take advantage of the weak schedule or if Kansas City is once again heading towards a mediocre final record.

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Former Royal Melky Cabrera Leads NL To Win In 2012 MLB All Star Game

If you are a Kansas City Royals fan, you have probably gotten used to seeing talented players leave the team and find success elsewhere. Last night, we once again witnessed the same old story, as former Royal Melky Cabrera had a huge game and won MVP honors while leading the NL to a 8-0 victory over the AL.

Cabrera had a good year for the Royals last year, and has been on fire this season. This year, he has a .353 batting average, 44 RBI and a league-leading 119 hits. The player he was traded for, pitcher Jonathan Sanchez, is 1-5 with a 6.75 ERA. So far, it appears that once again, the Royals' front office was outdone, and Kansas City fans have to watch another all star-caliber player find greener pastures elsewhere.

The game itself wasn't much of a competition. Pablo Sandoval broke the game open with a three-run triple in the first inning, and the NL never looked back. Sandoval and Cabrera teamed up to supply the majority of the NL's offense, while pitcher Matt Cain was on his game - giving the San Francisco Giants a looming presence in the event.

The Royals will be back in action this Friday, July 13, when they start a home series with the Chicago White Sox. The game will mark the beginning of a ten game home stand for Kansas City, which also features series against the Seattle Mariners and Los Angeles Angels.

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Prince Fielder Wins 2012 MLB Home Run Derby

Prince Fielder joined Ken Griffey Jr. as the only players to win multiple Home Run Derby titles, winning his second by beating Toronto’s Jose Bautista 12-7 in the final. Fielder sent eight balls into the fountains of Kansas City’s Kauffman Stadium, finishing with a total of 28 homers over three rounds.

Fielder also owned four of the longest drives of the evening, including two blasts that measured 476 feet. His total of 28 is five better than the 23 he hit in route to his first Home Run Derby title back in 2007, which took place in St. Louis. Mark Trumbo finished third, tying Bautista in the second round but losing 2-1 in a swingoff. Carlos Beltran, who received the majority of the fans’ support due to his days as a Royal, was eliminated in the second round as well. Carlos Gonzalez, Andrew McCutchen and Matt Kemp were all eliminated in the first round.

Apart from Fielder’s victory, the highlight of the night was the fans’ reaction to Robinson Cano. Cano had promised to select a Royal for his team, and then failed to follow up. Kansas City fans were rightfully upset that they couldn’t watch one of their hometown players participate, and showered the Yankee with loud boos all night. It appears that the hostility got to Cano, as he went homerless just one year after winning the event with 32 home runs overall. By hanging a bagel on the scoreboard, Cano became the first Home Run Derby participant since Brandon Inge in 2009 to fair to hit a home run.

The 2012 MLB All Star game will take place tonight in Kansas City. It has just been announced that Justin Verlander will start for the AL, while Matt Cain will start for the NL.

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A Preview Of Tonight's Home Run Derby

The 2012 MLB All Star festivities are in full swing, and tonight fans will get to watch their favorite sluggers battle it out in the annual State Farm Home Run Derby. The event will take place at 7:00 p.m. at Kauffman Stadium.

Robinson Cano, Prince Fielder, Jose Bautista and Mark Trumbo will represent the American League and Matt Kemp, Carlos Gonzalez, Carlos Beltran and Andrew McCutchen represent the National League team.

Each player will hit balls off of a practice pitcher of their choice. Contestants will get 10 outs per round, which is any swing that doesn't result in a home run. The top four homer hitters move on to the second round and the players with the two top combined totals for rounds one and two advancing to the finals.

Following last year’s format, the Derby will be a charity competition between the two leagues. Each team's captain has selected a charity, with $150,000 going to the winning team's charity and $100,000 going to the Boys & Girls Club of America. The losing team's charity will receive $25,000. All remaining charity money generated by the Home Run Derby will go to the BGCA. When a player gets to nine outs, a Gold Ball will be put in play. For each Gold Ball home run, State Farm and MLB will donate $18,000 to designated charities. State Farm will also donate an additional $3,000 for every non-Gold Ball home run hit throughout the Derby. Last year, the Derby raised $603,000 for charity.

This year’s event will also allow players and fans to interact with one another during the derby. Social media stations have been set up for both teams to use, and players will be using Twitter to share their personal thoughts, photos and videos from the competition.

Royals fans will have the opportunity to see Beltran play once again in Kansas City. The former Royal spent his first six and a half seasons in the Major Leagues playing his home games at Kauffman Stadium, so tonight should be a homecoming of sorts for the slugger.

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Previewing The Upcoming 2012 MLB All Star Futures Game

The 2012 MLB All Star Futures Game is right around the corner, featuring the top minor league players in Major League Baseball. The game will be a part of the Taco Bell All-Star Sunday lineup, and is scheduled to take place at 4:00 p.m. ESPN2 and MLB.TV will carry the broadcast of the game.

The futures game is a great opportunity for baseball fans to see the next wave of the league’s stars, and to also catch a glimpse of the top minor league prospects in their organization. Current Royals stars such as Eric Hosmer participated in the event before being called up the major leagues, and some of the league’s top young talent, including players such as Bryce Harper, have participated in the past. The Royals have three players participating in the game – more than any other MLB team. Will Myers, Jake Odorizzi and Yordano Ventura will be representing Kansas City in the exhibition.

There are 31 players on MLB’s top 100 prospects list on the two rosters. The 3-8 prospects on the list - Manny Machado, Jurickson Profar, Jameson Taillon, Trevor Bauer, Dylan Bundy and Gerrit Cole - will be participating, and nearly half of the Top 50 are on the roster.

The World Team features players from 11 different countries and territories outside the United States. The Dominican Republic has eight players, followed by Venezuela with six, Cuba with two and Puerto Rico with two. There are also players representing Aruba, Canada, Curacao, England, Panama, Taiwan and South Korea.

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Watch The All Star Game at The Zoo! by Kansas City News

If you didn't get tickets to the 2012 MLB All Star Game at the K, you can watch the All Star Game at the Kansas City Zoo. That's right, the FOTZ (Friends of the Zoo) staff have come up with another great party idea, an All Star Game watch party complete with a giant screen TV, food, and drink specials. If we didn't already have our diamond seats reserved we would be joining the fun at The Kansas City Zoo to watch Billy Butler and the American League All Stars swat the ball around Kauffman Stadium. Here's more from The Kansas City Zoo:

Watch the All Star Game with some wild friends!

Love baseball and Kansas City but don't have tickets to the All Star Game? Come watch the game on a big screen in the company of other enthusiastic fans and some finned, furry and feathered friends! The Zoo is honored to be one of the official watch party sites for the MLB All-Star Game. Visit us after 4 p.m. on July 10 for free admission to the Asia, Australia and KidZone areas of the Zoo, concession specials, and a giant screen for viewing the 2012 MLB All Star Game.

The watch party will be held in the Zoo's Tropics Field. Guests are encouraged to bring blankets or lawn chairs for seating. The party will run from 4 p.m. until the 2012 MLB All Star Game wraps up. Come see the game in a unique setting!

Rise and shine for early Zoo admission time!

Are you bright eyed and bushy tailed in the morning? Spend some time at the Kansas City Zoo during our mornings at the Zoo week, July 14-22. All week long our gates will open early at 8 a.m. Come watch our animals get active in the morning, have Pancakes for Penguins with Radio Disney, and see special musical and puppet performances! Select days will feature prize giveaways for the first 100 visitors to enter the Zoo's gates. Beat the heat and enjoy a fun-filled morning at the Kansas City Zoo.

Saturday, July 14 : Hula-Hoop Playshop with Luna Breeze

Sunday, July 15: Polar bear stuffed animal giveaway (to the first 100 zoo guests)

Monday, July 16: Jigsaw puzzle giveaway (to the first 100 Zoo guests)

Tuesday, July 17: T-shirt or lunch bag giveaway (to the first 100 Zoo guests)

Wednesday, July 18: Pancakes for Penguins with Radio Disney

Thursday, July 19: Water bottle giveaway (to the first 100 Zoo guests)

Friday, July 20: Paul Mesner Puppets perform Anansi the Spider

Saturday, July 21: She's a Keeper musical performance

Sunday, July 22: Brandon Draper Drum Safari performance

Sea-sational Sea Lions!

Come see Vince, Delilah and Sunshine the sea lions in action during the Sea Lion Show.

Shows run at 10:00 a.m., 1:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. daily.

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Royals Make Roster Moves Following Losses To Blue Jays

After winning four games in a row to pull four games under .500, the Royals have entered a bit of a tailspin, losing five of their last six. Their past two losses to the Toronto Blue Jays have forced the team to make several roster changes as Kansas City looks to get back in contention before the All Star game.

To address both injuries and a lack of production in their pitching staff, the Royals have recalled pitchers Nate Adcock and Louis Coleman from Triple-A Omaha. Adcock is 0-3 with a 3.12 ERA in nine games, including two starts with the Royals this season, while Coleman has a 4.91 ERA in 17 appearances out of the bullpen. After a disastrous last outing, pitcher Vin Mazzaro will be heading back to Triple-A. After being handed a 3-0 lead, Mazzaro gave up six runs and 13 hits in only 5 1/3 innings in Kansas City’s 6-3 loss to Toronto. Mazzaro has gone 3-3 for the Royals this season with a 5.70 ERA. The Royals also designated Mitch Maier for assignment. Maier has hit .172 with two homers and seven RBI in 32 games this year.

The Royals only have four games remaining before the 2012 All Star game festivities hit Kansas City, and it will need to get pick up some wins to stay in contention in the AL Central. Tonight, the Royals will try to salvage a four game split with the Blue Jays, playing at 6:07 p.m. Luke Hochevar (5-8) will start for Kansas City, while the red hot Henderson Alvarez (5-6) will start for Toronto. After wrapping up its series with the Blue Jays, the Royals will travel to Detroit for a three game series before the All Star break.

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Mike Moustakas Leads Royals To Rout Over Blue Jays

Mike Moustakas had a huge game, leading the Royals to an 11-3 rout over the Blue Jays. The win improved Kansas City’s record to 36-42 on the year, and the team is only 5.5 games out of first in the latest AL Central standings.

Entering the game, Moustakas was in the middle of his worst slump of the season, hitless in his last 14 at bats. After striking out in his first plate appearance, Moustakas belted a double to score Yuniesky Betancourt in the third. This must have been what got the monkey off Moustakas’ back, as he blasted a grand slam in the seventh to turn the contest into a route. Despite the prior slump, Moustakas is having a very strong season for the Royals, and the offensive barrage in yesterday’s game was just a glimpse of the young first baseman’s power.

While Moustakas grabbed the headlines with his grand slam, several other Royals had strong games as well. Salvador Perez hit a two run homer, and Betancourt and Alex Gordon also drove in runs. As a team, the Royals tallied 14 hits last night, a season high. Also, Kansas City got a good pitching performance from Everett Teaford, who threw seven strong innings against one of the best offenses in the major leagues to earn his first win of the season. Given the Royals' injury woes at pitcher, we will likely see Teaford get a shot to join the rotation on a permanent basis for the rest of the season.

The Royals will try to keep their hot bats going tonight against Toronto, as the Jays’ Brett Cecil (1-1, 6.06 ERA) has struggled this season. Vin Mazzaro (3-2) will start for Kansas City. The game will start at 6:07 p.m.

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Billy Butler Named To 2012 MLB All Star Roster

Billy Butler won’t have to travel very far to attend his first MLB All Star game. The Royals DH was named to the American League squad for the 2012 MLB All Star game held in Kansas City.

Butler has been the Royals’ best offensive weapon this season, and is a big reason why KC is 35-42 and only a couple of games out of first place. Butler currently has a .297 average with 16 HR and 48 RBI for the season, and he has consistently provided the Royals with clutch hitting late in games. Butler is the only Royals player to make the team, despite strong seasons from players such as Jonathan Broxton, Mike Moustakas and Alcides Escobar.

Broxton still has an opportunity to play for the AL Central, although his fate is in the hands of the fans. Broxton is one of this year’s Final Vote candidates for the AL, joined by Yu Darvish, Jason Hammel, Jake Peavy and Ernesto Frieri.

Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton received 11,073,744 votes, easily breaking the previous record of votes for a player that was held by Jose Bautista. Giants catcher Buster Posey received the most NL votes with 7,621,370.

Butler’s AL teammates also include C Mike Napoli, 1B Prince Fielder, 2B Robinson Cano, 3B Adrian Beltre, S Derek Jeter and DH David Ortiz as the starters. Apart from Ortiz, Adam Dunn of the White Sox is the other AL Designated Hitter on the All Star roster.

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Jon Hamm Confirms Appearance In 2012 MLB All Star Legends and Celebrity Softball Game

Jon Hamm has confirmed that he will be appearing in the 2012 MLB All Star Legends and Celebrity Softball game. The "Mad Men" star will be joined by other hollywood celebrities such as David Cook and Haley Reinhart from "American Idol."

The 2012 MLB All Star Legends and Celebrity Softball Game’s lineup has also been announced, and Royals’ fans will have an opportunity to see many past Kansas City greats take the field. Former players such as George Brett, Bo Jackson and Mike Sweeney will be among the many stars that will be on hand for the game. The game will take place on July 8th, and will be televised on July 9th following the Home Run Derby.

This year’s game is also scheduled to include Ernie Banks, George Brett, Joe Carter, Andre Dawson, Rollie Fingers, Rickey Henderson, Bo Jackson, Mike Piazza, Ozzie Smith, Mike Sweeney and Dave Winfield. For the first time, the game will feature six innings.

Tickets for Taco Bell All-Star Sunday can be purchased via 1-888-FanFest, online at www.allstargame.com, the websites of all 30 MLB Clubs, and at the Kauffman Stadium box office.

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Who Will Represent The Royals In The 2012 MLB All Star Game?

The 2012 MLB All Star Game is approaching, and online voting for MLB fans ends tonight at midnight. Royals fans will have to wait several days to find out which Kansas City player will be representing the team in the All Star Game, although there are two strong possibilities as to who will get the Royals’ All Star selection.

Billy Butler has made a strong case to be selected as Kansas City’s All Star. The 26-year-old slugger has hit for a .296 average this season, with 15 homers and 46 RBI. Not only has Butler been Kansas City’s most consistent offensive player, he has several clutch home runs that have helped the Royals win some close games. Without Butler’s performance at the plate, it is safe to say that Kansas City would not be sitting at 34-39 on the season and only a couple of games out of first. Despite another solid year, Butler may get passed over in favor of designated hitters like David Ortiz, and his position is loaded with players with similar, if not better, numbers.

Another possibility is Jonathan Broxton, who has slowly turned into one of the better closers in the American League this season. Broxton boasts a 1.52 ERA and 19 saves this season, and is another reason why the Royals are still in contention midway through the season. Due to the number of pitchers selected, Broxton has to be the favorite to grab Kansas City’s All Star spot.

Fresh off an impressive sweep of the Rays, the Royals will begin a series in Minnesota tomorrow against the Twins. Minnesota is one of the worst teams in baseball, and the Royals have a great opportunity to bring their record closer to .500 on the season.

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MLB Releases Rosters For 2012 All-Star Futures Game

The 14th annual Sirius XM All-Star Futures game has released its rosters, compromising of the top minor league players in Major League Baseball. The game will be a part of the Taco Bell All-Star Sunday lineup, and is scheduled to take place at 4:00 p.m. ESPN2 and MLB.TV will carry the broadcast of the game.

The futures game is a great opportunity for baseball fans to see the next wave of the league’s stars, and to also catch a glimpse of the top minor league prospects in their organization. Current Royals stars such as Eric Hosmer participated in the event before being called up the major leagues, and some of the league’s top young talent, including players such as Bryce Harper, have participated in the past. The Royals have three players participating in the game – more than any other MLB team. Will Myers, Jake Odorizzi and Yordano Ventura will be representing Kansas City in the exhibition.

There are 31 players on MLB’s top 100 prospects list on the two rosters. The 3-8 prospects on the list - Manny Machado, Jurickson Profar, Jameson Taillon, Trevor Bauer, Dylan Bundy and Gerrit Cole - will be participating, and nearly half of the Top 50 are on the roster.

The World Team features players from 11 different countries and territories outside the United States. The Dominican Republic has eight players, followed by Venezuela with six, Cuba with two and Puerto Rico with two. There are also players representing Aruba, Canada, Curacao, England, Panama, Taiwan and South Korea.

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Royals Swept By Cardinals

Just when the Royals had crawled back into contention and found themselves only a few games out of first place, disaster struck. Kansas City’s starting pitching was dreadful all weekend, and the Royals were swept by the St. Louis Cardinals.

The sweep highlights why Kansas City will once again have a sub .500 season – the Royals simply do not have capable starting pitching. Against St. Louis, the Royals gave up 41 hits and 30 runs over three games. The poor pitching performances wasted a great offensive output from the Royals on Sunday, when Mike Moustakas hit two home runs and both Jeff Francoeur and Billy Butler went yard as well.

Injuries have completely decimated the rotation, forcing the team to start players that really have no business pitching in the major leagues. At the moment, Bruce Chen is the team’s best pitcher who is not on the disabled list, and he is sporting a 4.81 ERA for the season. Chen is who he is, a decent option for a fourth of fifth starter, but he shouldn’t be the Royals best option at this point. Luke Hochevar has made it official that he is never coming close to living up to his first overall draft status as well, meaning that Kansas City is going to have to score a lot of runs night in and night out to have a shot. That is simply too much pressure on the offense, and it appears that it will likely be downhill from here for the rest of the season.

The Royals will try to get back on track tonight, when they start a three-game series with the Tampa Bay Rays. Hochevar (4-7) will start for the Royals, while Alex Cobb (3-3) will take the mound for the Rays. Game one is tonight at 7:10 p.m. at Kauffman Stadium.

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MLB Releases Crown Statues For All-Star Game, Royals Make Roster Moves

Major League Baseball has unveiled their All-Star Crown Statues to celebrate the 2012 MLB All-Star game and activities held in Kansas City. MLB teamed up with licensee Forever Collectibles to design a series of All-Star crown statues to celebrate baseball in Kansas City. A total of five statues, each weighing more than 1,000 pounds, will be positioned around the Kansas City area. MLB will announce the specific locations at a later date.

The statues will be uniquely decorated to celebrate the 2012 All-Star Game, the Royals, and each of MLB’s 30 clubs. Artist Charles Fazzio designed and painted one of the statues.

Collectible versions of the statues are now available as well at the MLB.com shop. The statues are 6.5 inches tall, and should be available through team shops and local retailers sometime next week. Each statue is currently $24.99 through the MLB.com shop.

In Royals news, Kansas City has announced that Catcher Salvy Perez will return for this weekend’s I-70 series against the St. Louis Cardinals. Perez missed the season’s first 67 games, but has been playing extremely well in Class AAA ball in Omaha. However, the Royals will be losing the best pitcher on their staff, as Felipe Paulino’s injury will require him to have season-ending Tommy John surgery. The injury is similar to the one that Danny Duffy suffered several weeks ago, and Paulino will be the fourth Royal pitcher to be forced to undergo Tommy John surgery this season.

The Royals will face the Cardinals tonight at 7:10 p.m at Kauffman Stadium. Vin Mazzaro (3-1) will start for Kansas City, while Joe Kelly (0-0) will take the mound for St. Louis.

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2012 MLB Charity 5K And Fun Run Schedule Set

The All-Star Game Charity 5K and Fun Run has officially released its schedule of events. The 5K race will start at 7:30, while the one mile fun run will start thirty minutes later. Registration now includes an early price of $25 (adult) and $20 (under-13) for the 5K and $20 (adult) and $15 (under-13) for the Fun Run. Space is limited so participants are encouraged to sign up early. Registration and event information can be found here.

All proceeds from the event will be donated to the Prostate Cancer Foundation, Stand Up To Cancer and Susan G. Komen for the Cure. Participants will run and walk on an All-Star themed course which will feature appearances by MLB legends, mascots and celebrity guests.

Award-winning actress and singer Kristin Chenoweth has confirmed that she will be attending the 2012 MLB All-Star Game Fun Run, joining former Royals All-Stars George Brett and Mike Sweeney. Chenoweth, who was won both a Tony and Emmy award in her career, is currently the star of ABC’s GCB and serves as a Stand Up to Cancer ambassador.

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Ned Yost Named To AL Coaching Staff in 2012 MLB All Star Game

Royals Manager Ned Yost and Head Athletic Trainer Nick Kennedy have been named members of the AL coaching staff for the upcoming 2012 MLB All Star game, July 10 at Kauffman Stadium. The two will join AL manager Ron Washington’s staff, who will be coaching his second consecutive All Star game. Oakland Manager Bob Melvin will join Yost and Washington. Washington has told the media that he picked Yost due to the impressive job he has done with a young Kansas City team this season.

The National League will be managed by Tony La Russa, who lead the St. Louis Cardinals to a world series championship last year. La Russa’s staff also includes Ron Roenicke of the Milwaukee Brewers and Terry Collins of the New York Mets.

This will be Yost’s fifth All Star game appearance; he also was included on the staffs in the 1996, 1997, 2000 and 2005 games. This will be the first All Star appearance for Kennedy, who is now in his third season as the Royals’ head trainer. Kennedy will be joined by Lonnie Soloff of the Cleveland Indians.

Yost is the 10th Royals manager to serve on the AL staff. Dick Howser was manager in 1986 after the Royals won the 1985 World Series, and was a coach in 1982 and 1985. Other Royals coaches who participated include Bob Lemon, Jack McKeon, Whitey Herzog, Hal McRae, Bob Boone, Tony Muser, Tony Pena and Trey Hillman. Kennedy is the fourth Royals trainer to be included on an All Star game staff, joining Jim Dudley, Mickey Cobb and Nick Swartz.

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Royals Win 15 Inning Marathon Against Cardinals

Yuniesky Betancourt blasted a two-run home run in the 15th, giving the Royals a 5-3 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals. The win improved Kansas City’s record to 29-35 on the season, and the Royals have now won five of their last six games and trail the Chicago White Sox by only five games in the AL Central standings.

Betancourt wound up the hero, despite not even starting the game. He was forced into action when Chris Getz suffered a leg injury in the first inning. Betancourt nearly ended the game in the fourteenth inning, when his RBI double gave Kansas City a 3-2 lead. However, Jonathan Broxton blew the save and the game continued.

Before Betancourt’s heroics, Billy Butler had the game’s biggest hit. Butler hit a pinch-hit home run to tie the game in the ninth inning, his 12th blast of the season. Kansas City also got a bizarre contribution from Alex Gordon, who drew a franchise record five walks in the game. Gordon has now drawn five walks in a game twice, the only Royal in club history to achieve this feat.

While Betancourt and Butler stole the headlines with their homers, Kansas City would not have been in the game if it wasn’t for some strong pitching. Luis Mendoza pitched six strong innings, only allowing two runs while striking out five and only allowing one walk. The Royals’ bullpen also pitched well, as the Cardinals did not record a run between the sixth and fourteenth inning.

The Royals continue their interleague schedule tonight, when they will travel to Houston to begin a series with the Astros. Jonathan Sanchez (1-2) will start for Kansas City, while J.A. Happ (4-7) will start for Houston. The Royals have won seven of their last ten games against the Astros.

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2012 MLB All Star Fan Fest Schedule Set

The 2012 All-Star game in Kansas City will feature many fun events and attractions; however none may be bigger or more interactive than the FanFest. Entering its 22nd year, the MLB FanFest is an interactive baseball theme park that features activities for baseball fans of all ages. With the All-Star game coming to Kansas City, this year’s FanFest will feature free autograph sessions with legendary Royals players, as well as rare Royals memorabilia.

The FanFest activities last for five days, starting on Friday, July 6 and ending on Tuesday, July 10. The events start at 9:00 a.m. each day and last until 8:00 p.m. on every day except Tuesday, in which the event ends at 6:00 p.m. A full list of the events and their times and date can be found here.

Tickets are currently on sale, and an adult ticket is only $30. All existing Royals Season Ticket Holders will have the opportunity to purchase a strip ticket for all MLB All-Star events held at Kauffman Stadium. Each strip includes one ticket to each All-Star Week event at the ballpark and two MLB All-Star FanFest tickets.

With the 2012 MLB All-Star game at Kauffman Stadium, people in the Kansas City area have a great opportunity to learn more about the game and dive deeper into Royals history. The 2012 FanFest has a lot to offer, and is one of the nice perks a city gets to enjoy when hosting baseball’s midsummer classic.

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Zac Brown Band Scheduled To Play At 2012 Home Run Derby

Major League Baseball has announced that the Zac Brown Band is scheduled to play at the 2012 MLB Home Run Derby, held on July 9. The two-time Grammy Award-winning band will hold an on-field performance to start the event.

The performance is scheduled to begin at 6:55 p.m., when the band will perform “America The Beautiful,” “Chicken Friend” and the band’s latest single, “The Wind.” MLB Network will carry the coverage of the performances before the Home Run Derby coverage is picked up by ESPN at 7:00 p.m.

The 2012 Home Run Derby will be captained by the American League’s Robinson Cano (last year’s winner) and the National League’s Matt Kemp. Cano and Kemp will choose three other players from their leagues to participate in the in the derby. State Farm and Major League Baseball will donate $150,000 to the winning captain’s charity, $100,000 to the Boys & Girls Club of America and $25,000 to the losing captain’s charity.

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2012 MLB All Star Game Billed Most Social Event In Baseball History

The 2012 MLB All Star game is being billed as the “most social event in baseball history.” The league has recently announced that several new social media platforms will be introduced to the game, making it more social than ever before. One key introduction will be the usage of computer stations at each clubhouse, which will allow teams to interact on social media when they are not in the game.

This year, MLB will use this platform in both the Home Run Derby and the actual All Star game, and if past stats are any indication, this truly could be the most social event in baseball history, if not sports history.

This new development is similar to what the MLB did last year during the 2011 Home Run Derby. Several computers were set up, which allowed players to go online and use social media platforms while the Derby was taking place. There was some incentive for players to tweet during the Home Run Derby as well: players who tweeted during the competition saw their follower list increase by 17% in the hours following the event, and the home run derby generated what was at the time the 7th-highest tweet per second mark in Twitter history.

The TV networks are in on the social aspect as well, as ESPN and FOX will both heavily incorporate social media into their television broadcasts of the events, creating a fully integrated social TV experience for fans. With several celebrities on hand, this could also be a way to entice non-baseball fans as well.

The 2012 Home Run Derby takes place on Monday, July 9 at 7:00 p.m., while the 2012 MLB All Star game will take place on Tuesday, July 10 at 6:30 p.m.

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