The KC Royals have hosted 2 of city’s 3 All-Star Games

The 2012 season was the last time the KC Royals hosted an All-Star Game.

It took 39 years for the All-Star Game to return to Kansas City. When it did, there wasn’t much in the entertainment department for AL fans as the National League clobbered the American League 8-0.

Justin Verlander was the starting pitcher for the AL and after striking out Carlos Gonzalez allowed a single to Melky Cabrera. It was downhill from there as Ryan Braun doubled to score Cabrera and Pablo Sandoval hit a triple to score Braun, Carlos Beltran, and Buster Posey.

Cabrera, a former Royal who was part of Kansas City’s great 2011 outfield, had a big day in his old ballpark, going 2-for-3 with two RBIs to win the All-Star Game MVP award.

As for the Royals, their lone playing representative was Billy Butler. Manager Ned Yost coached for AL Manager Ron Washington.

While Butler went 0-for-2 with a strikeout at DH, his All-Star experience that season will be remembered for the Home Run Derby he didn’t participate in.

Robinson Canó, who won the 2011 Derby, was named 2012 American League Derby captain and was in charge of picking the other AL participants. He did not, however, select hometown favorite and slugger Butler, who’d homered 16 times by the time the All-Star Break came around. Still, the Royals fans had the last laugh—or boo, rather—when they booed Canó whenever he came to bat.

Perhaps there was no sweeter taste for those fans than when Canó made 10 outs without hitting a single homer.

Kansas City has hosted the All-Star Game three times, with the Royals doing so twice. The first KC game had its own rich history of future Hall of Famers, the second had more Hall of Famers and good performances by the Royals, and the third had plenty of boos spurred by a Home Run Derby selection controversy.