It was a drastic step. There aren't many guys at Triple A making $8.5 million this season. Then again, Myers was 3-9 with a 5.84 earned run average. Something had to give. It's the biggest reason why he agreed to join the Lehigh Valley IronPigs.

Beginning tonight, when Myers pitches against the Mets at Shea Stadium, the wisdom of this action plan will start to reveal itself.

The Phillies' hopes for a return to the playoffs could very well hinge on it.

"It's very key, very important," testified manager Charlie Manuel. "He's a guy who can definitely pitch big for us down the stretch. He's a guy who can win games and hold the other team down until we get to the back end of our bullpen.

"One of the biggest things about the Mets right now is that their rotation has kind of settled in. Their pitchers have turned into workhorses and very aggressive pitchers. And that's what Myers can bring to our rotation, too."

When he rejoined the team in Florida over the weekend, Myers talked about having his old swagger back. Now, though, he instinctively seems to understand that it will be best to let his pitching do the talking for him. Before the game, he stiff-armed repeated requests to ask him about where he thinks his minor league odyssey, which also snaked through Double A Reading and a start for the Class A Clearwater Threshers at Brevard County, had left him.

For whatever it's worth, he was 1-3 in those games with a 3.00 ERA. He struck out 28 and walked seven in 27 innings while allowing 24 hits.

Asked what he hoped to see Myers do better than he was doing when he left, Rich Dubee was succinct. "Command his fastball. Use his fastball. Pitch inside," the pitching coach said.

Like everyone else, Dubee is left to read the tea leaves until tonight's game. "It seems like he's confident," he said. "I feel he's a lot more confident, a lot more sure of what he's going to do. Because of how he walks around and conducts himself. He's a lot more confident. It's good to see.

"I think going down there helped him. He did it down there. Hopefully, he can do it up here."

Dubee shrugged off the observation that Myers was having his success against hitters who, to be honest, generally aren't as good as those in the majors. "Sure, but he used his fastball more. His velocity picked up some. His command has improved. And the mound still is 60 feet, 6 inches [from the plate] the last time I checked," he said.

The questions will start to be answered tonight. But, for Manuel, all the telltale signs have been positive.

"The last couple days, the way he's acted and the way he's talked," Manuel explained. "And he's talked about winning and he's talked about continuing [what he did in the minors] and he's talked about this is an ideal team for him to pitch against.

"The way they talked about how he pitched in the minor leagues, I definitely think he's ready. That's what everybody indicates to me and I'm looking forward to seeing him pitch."

Shortly after 7 o'clock tonight, none of the talking will matter. All that will be important is how well Myers pitches. *