Botched calls on a close play are one thing (they happen, they suck and I agree that umps should be held accountable over the long term), but what ticks me off to no end is the increased bravado I’ve seen in certain umps over the past few seasons. A hitter mutters after a bad call, a pitcher reacts with emotion after a walk – and rather than try to calm the situation down, they seem to relish confrontation. That is 100% avoidable and umps should be called to the carpet by the league, their union and their peers for this kind of provoking behavior.