Runners advancing and when to call time

[tompeters]

If an umpire calls time before checking the accessibility of the ball when the player claims it out of play, then play is stopped and any runners are frozen. So certainly, we can't call time too early. But when I was asked where that is covered in the rulebook, I wasn't sure. The only thing I can see so far is that rule 5.10 of MLB rules gives all the situation where time should be called, and this is not one of them.

Also, what should a crew do if an umpire calls time, the runners continue running, and the ball is found to be accessible?

[fritz]

TP, check out 6.09(f) and 7.05(f) which deal with the awarding of bases (2) should a ball get stuck or bounce out of play. As far as a situation where the fielder was misleading the runners, I didn't see it covered under offensive interference, though I haven't checked any case books or the J/R to see what they say. You can always fall back on 9.01(c), cite the fielder for misleading the runners and award the bases as you see fit - and I would probably fall back to the 2-base award as if the ball was out of play.

That's my story anyway -