Web Gem
An amazing defensive play
Example
Did you see that diving catch by Kiermaier last night? He laid out full extension
Oh yeah, total web gem. Dude’s glove should be in the Hall of Fame at this point
Mike Trout with a web gem
Related Slang
| Leather | Defense ability |
| Grounder | A baseball hit on the ground |
| Rope | Line drive baseball hit |
| Mash | To hit a baseball well |
| Dinger | Home run |
| Baltimore chop | Baseball hit that takes a large hop over an infielder |
| Can of corn | An easy catch by a fielder |
| Millennial baseball | A baseball strategy of swinging for home runs instead of base hits |
| Brushback | Pitch that almost hits the hitter |
| Cheddar | Good fastball |
| Uncle Charlie | Curve ball |
Take the pop culture acronym challenge
A web gem is a baseball slang term for a stellar defensive play, like a diving catch, an acrobatic double play, or an outfielder gunning down a runner at home plate. The "web" refers to the glove's webbing, while "gem" emphasizes the rare and flashy nature of these plays, essentially calling them defensive jewels.
Origin of web gem
The "web gem" slang term comes from ESPN's Baseball Tonight, which launched the "Web Gems" segment in 2000 to highlight the best fielding moments from each day's games. The term caught on quickly with fans, broadcasters, and players, and people now widely use it both in TV commentary and casual baseball talk. For example, you might hear someone say, "That was a web gem!" after a third baseman robs a batter with a leaping snag, or see the term pop up in highlight reels on social media.