DETROIT – Here’s everything we know about the controversy surrounding Detroit Tigers broadcaster Craig Monroe.
Allegations on social media
A woman took to social media last month to accuse Monroe, 47, of raping her when she was a child.
The woman said Monroe lived with her family while he played for the Port Charlotte Rangers, which is the High-A minor-league affiliate of the Texas Rangers.
Monroe played exclusively for Port Charlotte in 1997 and 1998, and spent 130 games with the team before a late promotion to Triple-A in 1999.
The woman went on to say that Monroe’s sexual misconduct continued beyond his time living in Port Charlotte.
Detroit mentioned in allegations
The woman said in a post on X that she moved to Detroit in 2011 to live with Monroe.
She made accusations related to Tigers Fantasy Camp and even referenced one of Monroe’s former Tigers teammates.
Bally Sports Detroit broadcasts
Monroe entered the 2024 season as the Tigers’ primary analyst for television broadcasts, working mostly beside play-by-play voice Jason Benetti.
Monroe called the majority of Tigers games on Bally Sports Detroit until early June. After the June 7-9 series against the Milwaukee Brewers, Monroe became notably absent from the booth.
On Tuesday, July 2, 2024, Bally Sports Detroit and the Tigers sent WDIV a joint statement confirming that Monroe’s absence is linked to the social media allegations.
“Bally Sports Detroit and the Tigers are aware of the social media allegations and take them seriously,” the statement said. “As previously stated, Mr. Monroe has not been on the broadcast schedule and that will continue on an indefinite basis. We will have no further comment and any questions should be directed to Mr. Monroe.”
Click here to read our original story about the statement from Bally Sports and the Tigers.
Police confirm active investigation
WDIV reached out to police in Florida and learned that Monroe is linked to an active investigation.
Here is a statement from the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office:
“I can confirm that we have an ongoing investigation involving Craig Monroe. The only statement I can make at this time is that, ‘This is an active investigation and anyone with information is asked to come forward.’”
Click here to read our original story about the police investigation.
Monroe denies allegations
Monroe issued a statement through his lawyer, the Manley & Manley law firm, on Tuesday evening.
Here is the full statement.
Craig Monroe did not dignify these horrifying and false allegations when they appeared on various social media sites. Now that mainstream media has chosen to report this inaccurate information, Craig has no choice but to vehemently deny these claims. We will cooperate with law enforcement and are confident that once this case is fully investigated, Craig will be cleared of any wrongdoing.
Craig Monroe takes allegations of this nature very seriously and would never commit or condone such despicable conduct. He and his family are shocked by these allegations and offer his accuser forgiveness and grace. We trust that law enforcement will uncover the truth regarding her background and motivations.
Manley & Manley law firm
Click here to read our original story about Monroe’s response.
Monroe’s playing career
Monroe was drafted by the Rangers in the eighth round in 1995. He spent the first six years in the minors before debuting with the Rangers for 27 games in 2001.
The Tigers selected Monroe off waivers on Feb. 1, 2002, and he played most of the following season with the Triple-A Toledo Mud Hens. He appeared in just 13 games with Detroit.
But over the next four seasons, Monroe was a staple in the Tigers lineup, playing in 560 games with a .267 average, .312 on-base percentage, and .778 OPS. He hit 89 home runs and 110 doubles over that span.
Monroe was the primary left fielder for the 2006 team that went all the way to the World Series.
Midway through the 2007 season, the Tigers traded Monroe to the Chicago Cubs for Clay Rapada (Rapada was originally a player to be named later).
Monroe finished the 2007 season in Chicago, went to Minnesota for 58 games in 2008, and finished his career playing 34 games for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2009.
In nine MLB seasons, Monroe hit 115 home runs and 146 doubles while batting .252 with a .742 OPS across 814 games.
What we don’t know
- We don’t have Monroe’s side of the story yet. We do know that he denies the allegations.
- Has a lawsuit been filed or has the woman retained a lawyer?
- What is Monroe’s official status with Bally Sports Detroit? He’s been removed from the broadcast schedule, but it’s unclear if he’s officially suspended.