Tigers address absence of analyst Craig Monroe after sexual assault allegations

Disturbing allegations have been made against former major league player and current Tigers play-by-play announcer Craig Monroe, prompting the team and Bally Sports Detroit to remove him from the booth, both confirmed in a joint statement Monday.

Monroe has not appeared on television since June 9, the reason for which was initially described as a “personal matter” last month.

But a few days later, a post on Instagram and a separate post on X Last week, user carbarbie941 alleged that Monroe sexually assaulted her when she was 12 and also accused the gamer-turned-presenter of turning her into a prostitute.

In a statement to Awful Announcing, the Tigers and Bally Sports Detroit confirmed he was out due to the charges.

“Bally Sports Detroit and the Tigers are aware of the allegations on social media and take them seriously. As previously stated, Mr. Monroe has not been on the air and this will continue indefinitely. We will have no further comment and any questions should be directed to Mr. Monroe,” a spokesperson for both organizations told the outlet.

Monroe has yet to publicly respond to these allegations as of the time of this article's publication.

Among the graphic accusations made in the social media posts, the unknown woman alleged that the abuse began when Monroe was a minor league player living with her family in Charlotte County, Florida, when she was 12 years old and continued into adulthood.

She also alleged that Monroe forced her to perform sexual acts with friends and others, while also claiming that Monroe forced her to have sex with him at his home while his wife was upstairs.

In the message, the woman, identified only as a 35-year-old named Bree by Fox 2 in Detroit, said she had reached out to Bally Sports Detroit and the Tigers but had not received a response from either organization.

The Charlotte County Sheriff's Office told Fox 2 that an investigation into the case is ongoing and asked anyone with information to come forward.

The accuser told the outlet that she waited to come forward because she wanted to protect herself and her family, knowing there could be a negative public backlash over the allegations.

Monroe played nine seasons in MLB before continuing his career in the broadcast booth.

He began his career with the Rangers in 2001 and spent parts of six seasons with the Tigers before playing for the Cubs, Twins and Pirates.

Monroe retired in 2009 and began working on Tigers broadcasts in 2012.

He had just started this season as the lead analyst on Bally Sports Detroit broadcasts, and it's unclear where his future lies with the network following the serious allegations.