Cox, Wife Deny Their Fight Involved Assault On His Part

Atlanta Braves manager Bobby Cox faces simple battery charges for allegedly punching his wife Pam in the face Sunday night, but the couple appeared at a press conference Monday to deny the charge.

Cox was arrested at his northwest Atlanta home by Cobb County police Sunday at 10:15 p.m. Though Pam Cox confirms she called the police during an argument with her husband, her account Monday of the details of the incident differed from the account credited to her in the police report.

According to the police report, Pam Cox complained to the arresting officers of previous unreported incidents that had left her with black eyes and a broken hand.

Bobby Cox, 53, faces a court hearing May 26, even though Pam Cox said she will ask that the charge against her husband of 18 years be dropped.

Cox was in custody for an hour before he was released on $1,000 bond. He said he called Monday’s press conference after hearing what he said were exaggerated reports of the events leading to his arrest.

The police report says the problem began with a drink Bobby Cox spilled on the carpet after the couple returned from a party at the Atlanta Country Club. According to the report, Pam Cox said her husband “went ballistic” after she complained about the spilled drink.

The report says an intoxicated Cox called his wife “a bitch” and then “hit her in the face with his fist, causing swelling and redness.”

Bobby Cox said his wife’s face was red “from crying and vomiting. Pam was very upset.”

There was no apparent swelling or discoloration Monday.

On Monday, Pam Cox said she didn’t make statements to police about physical abuse in the past or on Sunday night and didn’t know why they were in the police report.

Said Pam Cox of the dispute: “It was just a personal problem … that had been escalating. We needed to talk about this a month ago, but due to the (Braves’) extended spring training it just kept escalating.”

Bobby Cox, who said “I’m just not a good listener,” said the couple will attempt to resolve their problems with the assistance of counseling. But he strongly denied the charge that he hit his wife.

“There was no hitting of any sort. I grabbed her forehead and her hair a little bit just to keep her at a distance away from me because we were both going at it pretty good.”