Craig Monroe
| Craig Monroe | |||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Monroe with the Minnesota Twins | |||
| Outfielder | |||
|
Born: February 27, 1977 Texarkana, Texas | |||
| |||
| 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 runs | 115 | ||
| Runs batted in | 433 | ||
| Teams | |||
Craig Keystone Monroe (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. He is currently a studio analyst for Detroit Tigers TV broadcasts on Fox Sports Detroit.[1]
Professional career
Monroe joined the Detroit Tigers organization on February 1, 2002, when he was selected off waivers from the Texas Rangers. He played his first full season in 2003, hitting 23 home runs.
On July 19, 2006, Monroe hit a grand slam home run off Javier Vázquez of the Chicago White Sox that was decisive in the Tigers 5–2 win. At the time, both teams were locked in a tense 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 six 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.
Retirement activities
Monroe became a studio analyst for the Detroit Tigers on Fox Sports Detroit in 2012.[1] He also serves as an occasional color analyst on game broadcasts.
Personal
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 is a cousin of former National Football League (NFL) defensive back Nathan Vasher.[9] Both attended Texas High School in Texarkana, Texas.
References
- 1 2 3 "Ex-Tigers outfielder Craig Monroe joins FOX Sports Detroit as Detroit Tigers studio analyst". Retrieved February 28, 2014.
- ↑ "Monroe's grand slam sends Tigers past White Sox". Retrieved February 28, 2014.
- ↑ "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.
- ↑ Thesier, Kelly (November 13, 2007). "Twins acquire Monroe from Cubs". mlb.com. Retrieved June 24, 2014.
- ↑ Dejan Kovacevic (January 13, 2009). "Pirates sign outfielder, catcher to minor league contracts". post-gazette.com. Retrieved January 13, 2009.
- ↑ "Cruz, Monroe earn final two spots".
- ↑ "Monroe is designated for assignment to make room for touted prospect".
- ↑ "Monroe's clutch homer is for Mom". Retrieved September 9, 2007.
- ↑ "Harris has Rivers in his sights". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved September 9, 2007.
External links
- Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball-Reference, or Fangraphs, or The Baseball Cube, or Baseball-Reference (Minors)