DENVER — Denny Neagle is not afraid of Coors Field.

        “It doesn't take a rocket scientist to know that this is not one of the better pitcher's parks, but I hope to change that perspective,” he said Monday after agreeing to a $51.5 million, five-year contract with the Colorado Rockies.

        In his career, he is 3-3 at Coors Field with a 7.30 ERA in seven starts, allowing 56 hits, seven homers and seven walks in 40 2/3 innings.

        The 32-year-old left-hander, who becomes baseball's seventh-highest-paid pitcher, won three starts at Coors Field while pitching for Atlanta in 1997-98.

        “There was a time when Coors Field was intimidating for me,” he said. “You have to get over that mental factor. You can't come to this ballpark and think, "Gosh, here we go, a Coors Field start.' It's the same thing when you pitch at Wrigley Field with the flags blowing straight out. You accept that. And if you get over that mentally, then the physical part follows. I think that's why I learned to pitch and be effective in this park.”

        Neagle and his agent, Barry Meister, had been in negotiations with the Rockies since Thursday, when the left-hander and his wife, Jennifer, met with team officials at Coors Field.

        Neagle's wife is a native of the Denver area, and a year ago the couple made their offseason home outside the city.

        Colorado also is among five finalists in the bidding for free-agent left-hander Mike Hampton, and Neagle said he hoped his signing would “pave the way for more pitchers on the free-agent market to come here.”

        Neagle also received offers from the Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets. The Yankees, who acquired him from Cincinnati during the All-Star break, made no offer to re-sign him.

        Neagle gave up 15 homers and 50 walks in 117 2/3 innings while going 8-2 with a 3.52 ERA for Cincinnati, then went 7-7 with a 5.81 ERA in 15 starts for the Yankees, giving up 16 homers in 91 1/3 innings.

        “People say I give up a lot of home runs, and I don't think that number is going to change,” Neagle said.

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