IFC’s under-appreciated comedy Brockmire is back and swinging for the fences in a hopefully sober third season. To make the big leagues he first must make it through Spring Training.

IFC’s Brockmire is big league television. Jim Brockmire is a big league broadcaster, but perhaps one of a generation past. However, if there is ever a time for an MLB club to give an old veteran hand a cup of coffee chance, it’s at Spring Training.

Some veterans are able to parlay this opportunity into one last season of glory. Others know their time is past, but are amenable to being an extra hand on deck. Perhaps, their mentoring of young talents gains them a Crash Davis managerial job. These vets cannot cause too many problems since they are the easiest to send packing.

Jim Brockmire believes he has a chance, but finally realized he had to pack in the bottle. Brockmire had to hang up his drinking microphone. He had to pick up a sober mic, with a sober mind, with sobriety in mind, and did he mention he was staying sober?

Though he may be sober, it may be curtains on Brockmire’s career. Keeping the big league microphone will require more than sobriety. No, oh no. For most, they need a filter when drunk. Brockmire also needs a sober filter, and it has not been cleaned or used for some time.

Jim’s new on-air partner, Gabby Taylor (Tawny Newsome) points this out saying, “You make a big show about how different you are… But going from drunk asshole to sober asshole isn’t the dramatic makeover you think it is.”

Which brings the great self-aware comedic reply of admittance:

Brockmire could use some help from Jules (Amanda Peete) and Charles (Tyrel Jackson Williams), but it seems they’ve already put him on the league’s waiver wire. Jules is past Brockmire’s love, and Charles would rather build the podcasting empire. There, Brockmire needs no filter.

Brockmire really is overlooked as the best comedy on television. Hank Azaria deserves more recognition for the depths of his realistic battle with alcoholism as well as his comedic genius. The first episode, Clubhouse Cancer, is available to all on IFC’s website and Youtube page.

Get caught up on the show or risk striking out knowing where the best dialogue in baseball and television originated, or how Bob Costas got that pink eye at the Sochi Olympics. You don’t want to have your career killed, do you?