National football league

Holmes to skip Pro Bowl

Kansas City, Mo. — Chiefs running back Priest Holmes, the NFL’s offensive player of the year, will skip the Pro Bowl because of a hip injury that caused him to miss the last two games of the season.

Holmes was hurt Dec. 15 against Denver. He rushed for 1,615 yards, caught 70 passes for another 672 yards and scored 24 touchdowns.

Four players will represent the Chiefs at the Pro Bowl — tight end Tony Gonzalez, wide receiver-kick returner Dante Hall, offensive tackle Willie Roaf and offensive guard Will Shields.

Hall signs five-year deal

Kansas City, Mo. — Kansas City kick returner Dante Hall signed a five-year contract with the Chiefs on Thursday. Terms of the deal were not released.

The 5-foot-8, 187 pound Hall established team single-season records this year with 57 kickoff returns for 1,354 yards, an average of 23.8 yards, with one touchdown. The three-year veteran also returned 29 punts for 390 yards, a 13.4 average, with two touchdowns.

On Dec. 1, Hall returned a career-best six punts for 128 yards against Arizona, including a team-record 90-yard touchdown return.

Major league baseball

Baldwin signs with Royals

Kansas City, Mo. — Right-hander James Baldwin agreed Thursday to a minor-league contract with the Kansas City Royals and was invited to spring training as a nonroster player. Baldwin went 7-10 with 5.28 ERA in 23 starts with the Seattle Mariners last season.

His best major-league season came in 2000 with the White Sox. He opened 7-0 and finished with a 14-7 record. He was the winning pitcher at that year’s All-Star game.