Bowden on DUI: 'It's been a tough week'

WASHINGTON --In his first public comments since being charged with drunken driving, Washington Nationals general manager Jim Bowden said Friday he regretted "the embarrassment" and strongly denied scuffling with his girlfriend shortly before their arrests.

"It was a difficult time for me, and I feel really bad about the incident and the embarrassment I caused my family, my friends, the Washington Nationals, Major League Baseball, all of our fans," he said. "It's been a tough week, and it's unfortunate."

A moment later, Bowden made light of the situation.

"If you have to spend a day in jail, at least it's an off-day, so you don't miss a game," he said. "There were some pretty good athletes in there. So if they get out, we might be able to work a couple out."

Bowden was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol early Monday morning after allegedly running a stop sign in Miami Beach, Fla. About 10 minutes earlier, according to police, Bowden and girlfriend Joy Browning were seen arguing but assured police they were fine.

When they stopped Bowden's car, police said they noticed scratches on his right ear and left cheek and told Browning she would be arrested on a domestic violence charge. She refused to get out of the car and struck one of the officers twice after he took her cell phone, according to the police report.

Browning was charged with simple battery, felony resisting arrest with violence and resisting arrest without violence.

"There was no incident at all. Zero, zero, zero, zero," Bowden said Friday, when asked about Browning.

"We denied the allegations. Never happened. Zero, zero," he continued. "Where that comes from -- I can't answer that."

Asked if the timing of the episode was unfortunate, given that Major League Baseball is close to selling the Nationals to a new owner who could revamp the front office, Bowden said: "It's unfortunate it happens, period. Any time. There's no appropriate time for an incident of that nature to occur."

He said his arrest caused him to miss part of a pre-draft scouting trip.

On Friday, Bowden strode out onto the field, trailed by three of his sons, during batting practice before Washington's game against Atlanta. He was approached by some Nationals players, who greeted him with hugs and handshakes.