ESPN's baseball wrap-up show Baseball Tonight devotes a section of its show each night to highlight the best defensive plays, which is refers to as Web Gems.

This is a good thing, as what ESPN deems popular or cool has a trickle down effect on today's youth. Most baseball highlight shows focus mostly on offense, but defense is a big part of the game as well, and good defensive teams tend to be the teams that make the playoffs.

Defense, perhaps more than hitting and pitching, is a skill young players can improve through hard work and practice. Everyone wants to bat, so those kids who work on their defense have a chance to make their mark and increase their playing time. The fact that ESPN is highlighting this may help encourage kids to focus on their fielding.