Montini: Luis Gonzalez goes to bat for John McCain in a campaign ad

The campaign ad begins with a somber Luis Gonzalez, the former Arizona Diamondback player now senior adviser to team President and CEO Derrick Hall, saying, “After 9/11 we were part of the healing process. To see our senator in the stands to show the people we are strong, that’s a sense of pride that we all have as Americans.”

There photos of Gonzalez back in 2001, during the Diamondbacks' World Series win over the Yankees. And a photo of Sen. John McCain sitting in the stands with then New York mayor Rudy Giuliani.

“I trust John McCain with our national and economic security,” Gonzalez says.

He adds, “He’s a fighter and that’s the type of person you want to lead.”

Athletes should do what actors do

This kind of thing – an actual political campaign ad – is rarely done by an athlete, former athlete or professional sports franchise employee.

But there is Gonzo. Going to bat for McCain.

I like it.

Not his choice of candidate but his decision to speak out so publicly.

I understand that sports is sports, and one of the ways we all get to enjoy sports is to keep politics out of it.

But I’ve got NO problem with athletes doing what actors, musicians and other celebrities do.

If an athlete believes in a candidate and he or she is willing to take the chance of fan backlash (if such a thing exists) I admire them for going public with their politics.

We’re Americans, after all. We’re allowed.

Gonzo campaigned for Bush in '04

Gonzalez appeared publicly at a few events for President George W. Bush back in 2004, but I don’t recall an actual TV commercial.

I contacted the Diamondbacks and asked if they had any comment.

The team sent me this statement: “Although Luis Gonzalez is an employee of the Arizona Diamondbacks organization, Gonzo, as a citizen, has the right to support any political party and/or candidate of his choosing. This is his personal endorsement, as the organization does not support any candidates for office. As an organization, we would never get in the way of any employee who wishes to support a candidate, as it is a right.”

Likewise, I wanted to know why Gonzalez did the ad and, through the team, he issued a brief statement reading, “John McCain is a longtime friend of mine and I support his efforts in the Arizona community.”

We want to like the athletes on our hometown teams and their employers want us to like them. I get that. And I get how politics is divisive.

But when it gets right down to it, in the bottom of the ninth of game seven of the World Series, with the winning run on third base, I'd want Luis Gonzalez at bat.