"Last October, on the eve of the Phillies' first World Series game in 15 years, then-assistant general manager Mike Arbuckle wondered how things would have been different if Brett Myers hadn't turned his season around.

"Then," Arbuckle said, "we've got problems."

Among the many players who had a hand in helping the Phillies return to the playoffs -- Ryan Howard with his power-packed September, Jamie Moyer with his team-leading 16 wins, Brad Lidge with his sheer perfection, and on and on -- Myers' contribution may have been the most meaningful.

But as the Phillies attempt to defend their World Series crown -- and Myers enters the final leg of his three-year, $25.75 million contract -- there is no bigger X-factor on the pitching staff.

"Brett can have any type of year Brett wants to have," pitching coach Rich Dubee said.

That certainly was the case in 2008.

By now, Myers' Jekyll-and-Hyde season has been well-documented, but it bears repeating. After going to the bullpen in 2007 and falling in love with being a closer, he returned to starting when the Phillies traded for Lidge. He was the Opening Day starter at Citizens Bank Park, and with ace lefty Cole Hamels, he formed what Dubee labeled a "1 and 1-A" top of the rotation.

But for three months, Myers was dreadful.

His fastball velocity dropped, sparking concerns about his arm strength. Dubee criticized him for not playing long-toss between starts, prompting questions about his work ethic. And during a 13-start stretch from April 22 through June 27, he went 1-8 with a 6.46 ERA.

On July 1, he agreed to go to the minor leagues. Three weeks later, he came back. And for the next three months, he ranked as one of the top starters in the National League, going 7-4 with a 3.06 ERA in his final 13 starts.

Without Myers' revival, the Phillies likely don't win the National League East.

"He never really got (closing) out of his system, I don't think, probably until he accepted that demotion down to Triple-A," Dubee said. "I think that played a big part of it last year.""