Davey holds team meeting, takes BP

Associated Press

Davey Johnson gathered his players for a team meeting today.

PITTSBURGH — After a frustrating loss Friday night to cap a frustrating few weeks of baseball, Davey Johnson did one thing he hadn't done in a while, and then something else he hadn't done in a really long time: He held a team meeting, and he took a round of batting practice.

"I wasn't too keen on last night," Johnson said, referencing the Nationals' 3-1 loss to the Pirates, their 13th loss in 21 games. "It was probably more for me, so I feel like I'm doing something."

The meeting, held before the Nationals took the field at PNC Park for batting practice, didn't feature any tirades from Johnson but rather a reaffirming of his belief in his players.

"It was more to let them know where I'm coming from, and for them to be aware that I understand what they're dealing with," he said. "It wasn't where I was chastising anybody, because I know the makeup and I know the effort we're getting. If anything, it might be we're putting more pressure on ourselves than we should."
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