Luis Gonzalez ‘Blessed and Honored’ to Be Pallbearer for John McCain

EXCLUSIVE

Ex-MLB star Luis Gonzalez says the moment he was asked to be a pallbearer for John McCain was one of the highest honors of his life … but admits it was weird, since McCain was still alive at the time. 

Gonzalez will be one of the 6 men selected to carry McCain’s casket at his funeral on Thursday — and tells TMZ Sports the late Arizona senator had been planning out the event for months. 

“I’ve known for a while,” Gonzales tells us … “[McCain’s team] had contacted me a while back, a few months back to ask if I’d be willing to be a pallbearer.”

“First of all, it’s an honor. And secondly, he was still living at the time so it was a strange request.”

Gonzo and McCain have been friends since the days Luis played for the Arizona Diamondbacks — they would text, talk on the phone and attend events together. 

Luis says he was always impressed with McCain’s knowledge and enthusiasm for sports — noting he never wanted to sit in VIP suites in stadiums, he always loved hanging with the people in the bleachers. 

“He was a great person who cared about other people.”

McCain’s funeral service will take place on Thursday at the North Phoenix Baptist Church. NFL star Larry Fitzgerald — another close friend of McCain’s — is scheduled to deliver a speech.