Top Royals All-Star Performances: Amos Otis and John Mayberry

We’ve already covered the 1973 All-Star Game this week, but that was more of an overview of the game itself, since it was the first All-Star Game at Kauffman Stadium.

The Royals had three players represent the hometown team, John Mayberry, Cookie Rojas and Amos Otis. Otis received the third most votes among American League players and earned a start. Mayberry filled in as the starting first baseman after Dick Allen was hurt and couldn’t play.

Mayberry was deserving anyhow, with a .300/.439/.539 line and 20 homers and 80 RBI. Otis had a .287/.350/.496 line with 19 homers.

Mayberry ended the first inning with a ground out, but when Otis came up in the second inning, he already had Reggie Jackson on second base after a leadoff double. He singled towards second base and drove in the American League’s only run.

Despite the scoring problems of the AL, Otis and Mayberry did their part. In his second at bat Mayberry walked in the bottom of the third, then doubled to right-center to lead off the bottom of the sixth, but he was stranded there. In his last at bat, he grounded out against Tom Seaver (but hey, he moved Rojas to second after a walk).

Otis added to his RBI single with another in the fourth inning and stole second with Bobby Murcer at bat. He left the game after Carlton Fisk and Brooks Robinson stranded him on second.

Mayberry slowed down in the second half, finishing with a .287/.417/.478 line and ending with 26 homers and 100 RBI. Otis finished at .300/.368/.484 and 26 homers and 93 RBI.

Maybe the two Royals didn’t have flashy, superstar kind of games, but they had solid ones, contributed to their side and did so on their own field. All three Royals in the 1973 All-Star Game ended up in the Royals Hall of Fame. That adds up to a special event and one worth noting.