Roger Clemens on Baseball Hall of Fame & Mindy McCready

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 - but the 354-game winner is not about to start a lobbying campaign.

"I'm not going to lose any sleep over it," Clemens said in Kissimmee, Fla. "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."

Clemens was at spring training Monday as a special instructor for the Houston Astros, and he spoke for a bit with the team's pitchers about his mental approach to the game. Later, he watched some of the Astros throw live batting practice.

The 50-year-old Clemens seemed relaxed after a turbulent year. Clemens was acquitted last year on charges he obstructed and lied to Congress in denying he used performance-enhancing drugs to extend his career. Last month, Clemens, Barry Bonds and everyone else on the ballot fell short of the necessary votes to make the Hall of Fame. Superlative stats weren't enough to offset suspicions of PED use.

When Clemens met with reporters, he began by handing out a written statement about the death of country star Mindy McCready, who made headlines in April 2008 when she claimed a longtime relationship with Clemens. Published reports at the time said she met the pitcher at a Florida karaoke bar when she was 15 and he was 28 and married. Clemens has denied the relationship.

Authorities said McCready died Sunday at her home in Heber Springs, Ark., of an apparent suicide.

"Yes, that is sad news," Clemens' statement said. "I had heard over time that she was trying to get peace and direction in her life. The few times that I had met her and her manager/agent they were extremely nice."

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

The 27-year-old was injured May 1 at San Diego when he hit a wall while chasing Nick Hundley's foul popup, cutting short his season after 21 games. Gamel reinjured the knee Saturday during Milwaukee's first full-squad workout this year. An MRI Sunday revealed the extent of the injury.

Corey Hart, who moved to first base after Gamel's injury last year, is on crutches after knee surgery on Jan. 25 and is expected to be out 3 to 4 months.

Manager Ron Roenicke said candidates to play first until Hart returns include Alex Gonzalez, Hunter Morris, Bobby Crosby, Taylor Green and Sean Halton.

"We'll look at all the guys we have in camp here," general manager Doug Melvin said. "We'll look internally."

Gamel has been restricted to 106 games in the majors since his debut in 2008, mostly because of injuries, including a torn muscle in his right shoulder in March 2010 and a strained right oblique in February 2011.

* Arizona acquired outfielder Tony Campana in a trade that sent 17-year-old righthanders Jesus Castillo and Erick Leal to the Chicago Cubs. Campana hit .264 with 30 stolen bases in 89 games with the Cubs last season.

In other Cubs news, righthander Matt Garza will undergo an MRI to determine the severity of the side injury he sustained throwing batting practice.

* Pittsburgh manager Clint Hurdle is expected to get his contract extended through 2014 with a club option for 2015, a source told the Associated Press.

* Miami first baseman Casey Kotchman has received four stitches to close a cut on his left ring finger after running into a popup machine during infield drills.

* Cincinnati manager Dusty Baker has watched his diet and gotten plenty of rest, the main changes in his lifestyle since his health scare late last season.

Baker was in a hospital in Chicago when the Reds clinched the NL Central title last season, getting treatment for an irregular heartbeat and a mini-stroke. He was back in time for the playoffs, which ended with a first-round loss to San Francisco.

The 63-year-old manager acknowledged that he wasn't feeling all the way back to normal when he returned to the dugout.

"I didn't really know how to feel," Baker said. "All I know is I wasn't myself, but I was better than most."

After the Reds were eliminated in a five-game series, Baker returned home to California and had more tests. He's made a few changes in his lifestyle.

"I always took care of myself, but now you're really aware of what you eat, how you sleep and stuff like that," Baker said. "I lost weight by being sick but once you do lose weight by being sick, it's up to you to keep it off. I didn't really change what I eat but I eat less of it."