Craig Monroe

Craig Keystone Monroe (nicknamed "C. Mo") (born February 27, 1977) is a former Major League Baseball (MLB) outfielder. He played for the Texas Rangers, Detroit Tigers, Chicago Cubs, Minnesota Twins and Pittsburgh Pirates and is currently a studio analyst and field reporter for Detroit Tigers TV broadcasts on Fox Sports Detroit.[1]

Craig Monroe
Monroe with the Minnesota Twins
Outfielder
Born: (1977-02-27) February 27, 1977
Texarkana, Texas
Batted: Right Threw: Right
MLB debut
July 28, 2001, for the Texas Rangers
Last MLB appearance
June 16, 2009, for the Pittsburgh Pirates
MLB statistics
Batting average.252
Home runs115
Runs batted in433
Teams
Monroe (left) talks to teammate Fernando Rodney in 2006.

Professional career

On July 29, 2001, at Arlington, Texas, Monroe hit a home run in his first major league game for the Texas Rangers, contributing to a 2-0 victory over the visiting Tampa Bay Devil Rays.

Monroe then joined the Detroit Tigers organization on February 1, 2002, when he was selected off waivers from the Rangers. Playing his first full season in 2003, Monroe hit 23 home runs.

On July 19, 2006, Monroe hit a grand slam home run off Javier Vázquez of the Chicago White Sox which was decisive in the Tigers 5–2 win. At the time, the teams were locked in a struggle for the American League Central division lead. Monroe called it "by far the biggest one I've ever hit."[2] Monroe led Detroit with 28 home runs that season, as the Tigers turned around more than a decade of losing with 95 wins, and he was second on the team with 92 RBIs. He also hit five home runs in the 2006 postseason, which culminated in a World Series appearance.[1]

On August 17, 2007, the Tigers designated Monroe for assignment. On August 23, he was traded to the Chicago Cubs for a player to be named later.[3] Monroe played with the Cubs for the remainder of the 2007 season. The Tigers received Clay Rapada to complete the trade. On November 13, Monroe was traded to the Minnesota Twins for a player to be named later.[4] On August 1, 2008, Monroe was designated for assignment by the Twins and released on August 8.

Monroe signed a minor league deal with the Pittsburgh Pirates on January 13, 2009.[5] Monroe was added to the Major League roster at the end of spring training.[6] Monroe was designated for assignment on June 20 to make room on the roster for Steve Pearce.[7] Monroe was released on July 1, after which he retired as an active player.

Retirement activities

Monroe became a studio analyst for the Detroit Tigers on Fox Sports Detroit in 2012 and also serves as an occasional color analyst on game broadcasts. In 2019, he launched his signature men's fashion line called "This is your fault for having eyes". After designing each suit, he breaks down his decisions in and about his signature style.

Personal life

Monroe's mother's name is Marilyn Monroe, the same as that of the late actress. She was on hand to watch her son hit a go-ahead home run against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on August 30, 2006. After the game, he told the media, "Marilyn Monroe is here in New York, and I'm thrilled."[8] Monroe and his wife, Kasey, have three children.

References
  1. "Craig Monroe baseball-reference.com".
  2. "Monroe's grand slam sends Tigers past White Sox". Retrieved February 28, 2014.
  3. "Monroe traded to Cubs to join Trammell; Tigers might get left-hander back". Archived from the original on August 31, 2007. Retrieved August 23, 2007.
  4. Thesier, Kelly (November 13, 2007). "Twins acquire Monroe from Cubs". mlb.com. Retrieved June 24, 2014.
  5. Dejan Kovacevic (January 13, 2009). "Pirates sign outfielder, catcher to minor league contracts". post-gazette.com. Retrieved January 13, 2009.
  6. "Cruz, Monroe earn final two spots". Archived from the original on April 3, 2009.
  7. "Monroe is designated for assignment to make room for touted prospect".
  8. "Monroe's clutch homer is for Mom". Retrieved September 9, 2007.
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