Gnash is mistreated at home and a little bit at school: "If someone did something wrong and Gnash was nearby, teachers just assumed it was him." He's an angry kid and a bit of a bully himself. When Jock joins his baseball team, he finds a good target. Not only is Jock gay and very good at the game (both offensive to Gnash), he's also angry. While Gnash is mad at everyone, Jock focuses his attitude on the homophobic. It seems justifiable but he's still hurtful. He mocks Gnash and others about their ignorance and their poor baseball skills, which only eggs Gnash on.

Raj, another player, is the redeeming character of Tagged Out. He's kind and confidently encourages both Jock and Gnash to give each other a chance even when neither deserves it. Jock takes Raj's encouragement to heart. Gnash gets encouragement to befriend Jock from another, less positive source. Sometimes 2 wrongs do make a right it seems.

The book is mostly about bullying. I definitely gained more compassion for Gnash when I found out about his home life. Gnash himself does mature a teensy weensy bit. As much as I disliked him at the beginning, he jerkiness is endearing by the end. He's still a jerk, but he asks permission before getting revenge on behalf of Jock... and doesn't do it when Jock says no. Not a bad start.