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Touch 'Em All: Clemens: OK with Hall of Fame result

Roger Clemens said little publicly in the immediate aftermath of the Hall of Fame vote. More than a month later, he's willing to share his thoughts, about the vote - and more.

About missing out on the Hall of Fame: "I'm not going to lose any sleep over it," Roger Clemens said. (David J. Phillip/AP)
About missing out on the Hall of Fame: "I'm not going to lose any sleep over it," Roger Clemens said. (David J. Phillip/AP)Read more

Roger Clemens said little publicly in the immediate aftermath of the Hall of Fame vote.

More than a month later, he's willing to share his thoughts, about the vote - and more.

About missing out on the Hall of Fame: "I'm not going to lose any sleep over it," Clemens said. "If those guys feel I deserve to be there, then I deserve to be there. If they feel I don't, then that's OK, too."

About the apparent suicide of country star Mindy McCready, who made headlines in April 2008 when she claimed a longtime relationship with Clemens, who denied it: He handed out a written statement that said, "Yes, that is sad news."

About Mike Piazza, who wrote in his autobiography, Long Shot, that he took karate lessons after he was beaned by the pitcher: "He'd have to stand in line. I think there was about three guys on the Yankees that wanted a piece of me more than [he] did," Clemens said.

"There was no intent there," said the 50-year-old former pitcher, who is at spring training in Florida as a special instructor for the Houston Astros.

No love for Texas

Former Texas Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton said in an interview with the DFW CBS television station on Sunday that the Dallas-Fort Worth area is not a true baseball town.

So Hamilton can expect a cascade of boos upon his return with the Angels on April 5.

"There are true baseball fans in Texas, but it's not a true baseball town," said Hamilton, who while with the Rangers was booed during the AL wild-card loss to Baltimore at the end of last season.

Hamilton said Philadelphia is a baseball town, as are New York, Chicago, and Boston.

Gamel out for season

Milwaukee Brewers first baseman Mat Gamel suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee for the second time in less than a year and will miss the season.

Jeter works out

Derek Jeter received an ovation that could be heard throughout Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, Fla., when he jogged onto the diamond for the New York Yankees' first full-squad workout.

"It felt good," Jeter said. "It's the first time I'm doing everything on the field, in terms of hitting on the field, ground balls on the dirt. What I'm doing now is what I would be doing at the beginning of workouts anyway, but I'm a couple weeks behind."

Martinez back with Sox

Pedro Martinez might have been the most popular person in a Red Sox uniform during the team's morning workout. The former ace has rejoined the organization as a special assistant to general manager Ben Cherington.

"It's weird," he said of putting on the uniform again.

- Wire reports