All-Star parade hits streets of Kansas City

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — As anyone who's ever spent a night drinking at The Granfalloon knows, Kansas City's Country Club Plaza can be a magnet for visiting ballplayers.

The city's famous shopping and restaurant district, however, had never seen a collection of All-Stars like the one it did on Tuesday afternoon. The league held its annual All-Star parade through the Plaza's streets as players traveled in the back of pickup trucks that rolled down a gigantic red carpet.

Though the procession was intermittent — sometimes it seemed like there were only six trucks making the circuit between the parade route and the Intercontinental Hotel nearby — it looked as if the fans dressed in royal and powder blue were having a good time. Players threw out soft souvenir baseballs to broiling spectators who made the decision not to cluster under the forgiving shade of nearby trees. Patrons at bars and restaurants gawked out the windows and tried to identify players as they passed.

"There's Derek Jeter," said one as Adrian Beltre rolled by.

"Ryan Cook? No wonder he has a sign with his name on top of his truck," said another.

But all in all, the event, which allowed many families to see the stars up close without a $300 per ticket price tag, was a nice tuneup for Tuesday night's game, which kicks off at 7 p.m. CT. Find a few more pictures from the parade after the jump:

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