PITTSBURGH — Penguins rookie forward Tyler Kennedy is out indefinitely with mononucleosis and will miss Saturday's NHL YoungStars game in Atlanta.

Kennedy is the second Penguins player to be forced out of the All-Star weekend. Sidney Crosby, the leading vote-getter in the All-Star balloting, won't play for six to eight weeks because of a high ankle sprain.

Kennedy has missed the Penguins' last two games because of the illness. He has eight goals and four assists in 31 games and leads NHL rookies with four game-winning goals.

PITTSBURGH — The city of Pittsburgh is angling to host another high-profile professional bass fishing tournament.Representatives of FLW Outdoors plan a three-day visit to the city next week to meet with government and convention center officials about the 2009 Forest Wood Cup Championship. The winner of the four-day tournament receives $1 million.FLW and the Forest Wood tournament are named for Forest L. Wood, the founder of fishing boat manufacturer Ranger Boats.Pittsburgh was the site of the CITGO Bassmaster Classic in 2005.

PITTSBURGH — Oft-injured pitcher Jaret Wright and the Pittsburgh Pirates agreed on a minor-league contract Wednesday with an invitation to spring training.Wright, a 15-game winner for Atlanta in 2004, had a 6.97 ERA while losing all three games he started for Baltimore last season. The right-hander pitched only in rehabilitation games after that because of a sore shoulder, but did not undergo surgery.The 32-year-old Wright is 68-60 with a 5.09 ERA while pitching for the Indians, Padres, Braves, Yankees and Orioles since 1997. He started Game 7 of the 1997 World Series for Cleveland.

PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Public Schools Board has approved a learning partnership with the Pittsburgh Penguins, despite opposition from a couple of board members.Board member Mark Brentley Sr. pushed to delay the partnership because the city is still negotiating with the team about a redevelopment plan in the Hill District.Neighborhood groups want the Penguins and local government leaders to pledge to redevelop the area near the team's proposed $290 million arena. The new arena is next to the predominantly black Hill District.Brentley, who is black, didn't want the school to partner with the Penguins until the redevelopment deal is sealed.Under the partnership, Penguins' front office officials will speak at city schools. The hockey employees will explain to students how they can use their academic skills in the real world.

SAN FRANCISCO — Barry Bonds asked a federal judge to dismiss perjury charges against him Wednesday, arguing the indictment is "scattershot" and noted for its "striking inartfulness."Bonds was charged in November with lying to a grand jury about his use of performance-enhancing drugs.In the motion filed in San Francisco federal court, the former San Francisco Giant neither admits nor denies taking the drugs, but argues the questions asked by prosecutors during a December 2003 grand jury appearance were vague, ambiguous and confusing.

WASHINGTON — Former major leaguer Chuck Knoblauch had not been tracked down as of early Wednesday evening by federal marshals trying to serve him a subpoena from a House panel investigating steroids in baseball, a committee staffer told The Associated Press.The person spoke on condition of anonymity because staffers were not authorized to make public comments on the matter.Knoblauch, a four-time All-Star who played for the Yankees, Twins and Royals from 1991-02, originally was asked to appear today for what was supposed to be the first of five depositions or transcribed interviews scheduled by the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.

SAN DIEGO — Steve Duplantis, a popular PGA Tour caddie known for bringing out the best in his players, was killed early Wednesday when he was struck by a taxi while crossing a street.Duplantis was in Del Mar when he stepped off a center median and into the path of a taxi, said Sgt. Randy Webb of the San Diego Sheriff's Department. The 35-year-old Duplantis was pronounced dead on the scene.He was working at the Buick Invitational for Eric Axley.Axley was visibly shaken when he arrived at Torrey Pines and asked for a few days before he commented.

NEW YORK — The Yankees did finish first in something last year — spending.While its streak of AL East titles ended at nine, New York wound up with a record payroll of $218.3 million.The World Series champion Boston Red Sox were a distant second at $155.4 million, according to information received by clubs from the commissioner's office.The Pirates' payroll was $51.4 million, which was 27th out of the 30 clubs.Tampa Bay was 30th with a payroll of $31.8 million.