Atlanta ? Tom Glavine has a few flecks of gray under his cap, a few more wrinkles around the eyes.

Otherwise, he doesn’t look much different than the guy who pitched the Atlanta Braves to their first World Series in 1991.

Atlanta pitcher Tom Glavine throws against Minnesota earlier this week. The 16-year veteran doesn't seem to be slowing down for the Braves.

“Really, he’s not all that gray,” Chipper Jones said, glancing toward the locker of his 36-year-old teammate. “He must be putting some stuff in his hair.”

Indeed, Glavine appears to have just been pulled from a time capsule, unaffected by the passage of the last decade or so. He’s still doing what he’s always done: baffling hitters with less-than-overpowering stuff, a sinker here, a changeup there.

“Actually, that’s too simplistic,” Glavine said. “I’m not the same pitcher I was 10 years ago. I’m not the same pitcher I was last year. But I think it’s a credit that I’ve been able to make those changes without people noticing.”

Glavine, who already has two Cy Young awards in his trophy case, is better than ever. He got to 10 wins at the earliest point of his 16-year career and stands 11-2 with a major-league leading 1.53 ERA heading into his start Sunday against the Boston Red Sox.

When the left-hander walks into the Hall of Fame, they should put this mantra on his plaque: He never gave in to the hitter.

“Those kind of guys are the most frustrating to face,” Jones said. “As a hitter, you’re taught to work ahead in the count so you can look for your pitch. But Glavine never throws your pitch. He’s going to throw what he wants, when he wants, where he wants.”

That philosophy Glavine would rather walk a guy with the bases loaded than throw a pitch he might hit for a grand slam has carried him to five 20-win seasons and a record of 235-134.

“When he’s locating and changing speeds, he’s got you at his mercy,” Jones said. “It sounds crazy to say that a guy who throws 86, 87 miles an hour can do that to major league hitters. But the fact of the matter is that he’s perfected the art of pitching.”

Glavine, who’s in the final year of his contract after spending his entire career with the Braves, would like to pitch at least three more seasons, preferably in Atlanta. He’s also started pondering his legacy and that likely spot in Cooperstown.

“I’d be lying if I said I haven’t thought about it,” Glavine said. “If I can do anything to improve my chances, that’s even better.”

In his last start, Glavine allowed just two hits in seven scoreless innings for an 11-0 victory over Minnesota, lowering his road ERA to an astounding 0.71.

Glavine doesn’t have as much room for error as someone such Curt Schilling (the only pitcher in the majors with more wins than Glavine) or Roger Clemens. Those guys can get away mistakes simply because of their repertoire is so overpowering.

On this point, though, Glavine won’t give in either.

“Matching people stuff for stuff for stuff? I’m not going to do that,” he said. “I’m not going to put up some of the eye-popping numbers that some of the other guys put up.

“But when it comes down to winning games, I’ve always felt like somehow, some way, I can hold my own with anybody.”

No change there.