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Read your rulebooks. In OBR, during a walk, hit-by pitch, etc., the runner must proceed directly to first. Now this is based on the umpire's judgment of what is "a reasonable attempt" to achieve 1st base. The rulebook (OBR) states that a runner must proceed directly to first base in a "reasonable" fashon (not word for word, but I can look it up)...... again judgement call.
It doesn't matter that the ball is dead, if in the umpire's judgment, that he did not reasonably aquire 1st, then he is within the rules to put him out.
I didn't see the play, but if the guy merely stopped briefly on the baseline to shake some hands, and then proceeded to first, I wouldn't have called him out, however, if he left the baseline in any way (ie: to go to the dug-out, or even shifted direction 5-10 ft off his course to first, I would have called him OUT!
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