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I always call time whenever I do something like clean the plate.
I've seen the situation where the umpire doesn't call time and cleans the plate. Everyone relaxes and is waiting for the umpire to finish and the runners are walking non-chalantly back to the base when the pitcher picks them off. Of course the arguement ensues that the umpire was cleaning the plate and that time was called.
The PU then says time wasn't called and that the play was live. So the out counts. Then all hell breaks out because you have the runner and his manager who is all over the PU for doing something where they think he should have called time and the PU insisting that he doesn't have to call time.
If your worried about F2 going for a conference as you bend to clean, simply tell him not to go because your done in 2 seconds.
I think its best to call time and then there is no problem.
Quickly:
1) Call Time out.
2) Clean plate, Clean Glasses or whatever.
3) Call Time in with a "Let's Go" or something to indicate you want them to go quickly.
Should take no more then 5 seconds.
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