The Associated Press

KISSIMMEE, Fla. - Mike Hampton has grown weary of talking about his two seasons with the Colorado Rockies, where the two-time All-Star's career was derailed by the thin air of Coors Field.

"That's all history. I'm just focused on this year," the Atlanta Braves left-hander said.

Those years certainly were forgettable. Hampton went a combined 21-28 with a 5.75 ERA, and he wasn't close to being the same pitcher who won 63 games the previous four seasons with Houston and the New York Mets.

A trade to Atlanta gives him a chance to revive his career in pitcher-friendly Turner Field, with an organization accustomed to winning division titles.

"The way I like to explain it, pitchers get themselves tied in knots playing in Coors Field," Braves general manager John Schuerholz said Tuesday. "He just needs time to get himself out of the knots."

Hampton has been the perfect pupil so far. He attended nearly every session of "Camp Leo," an offseason training camp for pitchers run by Atlanta pitching coach Leo Mazzone, and he has worked extensively to perfect the arm angle during his release.

In his most recent start, he got it right for the most part, shutting out the New York Mets for six innings and allowing only three hits. That performance lowered his spring ERA to 4.95, down from 7.07, and gave him hope for a breakthrough.

"I'm not going to say it's going to happen overnight, but I'm finally starting to see the results from the hard work," he said.

Hampton's also trying to get his sinker back. In Colorado, where the natural movement on the pitch disappeared at the high altitude, he tried to get hitters out by throwing four-seam fastballs. That worked only part of the time, leading to the problems.

"Pitchers there change the way they throw to try to get hitters out," Schuerholz said. "They tried different arm angles, anything, to get the job done. That works for a while, but then you lose what you had."

The Braves' rotation lost Tom Glavine, Kevin Millwood and Damian Moss. Hampton joins fellow newcomers Russ Ortiz and Paul Byrd with Atlanta. For the Braves to win their 12th straight division title, the new guys will have to come through.

"This is a team used to winning, and there's no reason to think that won't continue," Hampton said. "I'm looking forward to being a part of that."