Gonzo chats Throwback Thursday with fans

Luis Gonzalez: Hey everyone, excited about tonight's first Throwback Thursday. Ready to answer some of your questions...

Chris Byrd: Why aren't you on TWITTER!?!

Luis Gonzalez: I'm not a big Twitter or Facebook kind of guy.

Roxanne Coe:What do you think of Archie and yazy? I say those two are gonna be big one day?

Luis Gonzalez: Archie is a great competitor with a football mentality. I love his demeanor out there. Yasmany is still trying to adapt and get comfortable with playing every day in the United States.

Becky Sainz Soto: Hi Gonzo! Are any of your kids in baseball?

Luis Gonzalez: My son just finished his sophomore season at Chaparral High School. He played third base and was a lot bigger as a sophomore than I was in my first 6 or 7 years in the big leagues!

Marge Raimondi: What is your current job with the team? Do you also assist hitters with suggestions on how they can improve their hitting?

Luis Gonzalez: Special Assistant to the President & CEO Derrick Hall. I spent a few weeks in uniform during Spring Training with some of our hitters. Current hitting coach Turner Ward was a teammate of mine in college and assistant hitting coach Mark Grace was a teammate of mine with the Diamondbacks and the Cubs.

Quinonez Eric: Who is your favorite player on the D-backs roster this year?

Luis Gonzalez: Goldy has always been one of my favorites. I love Pollock, Inciarte, Archie Bradley... Great bunch of guys, hard to name just one!

Anthony Villalobos: Hey Luis, would you ever consider a coaching gig at the Major League level? With Counsell and Matt Williams at the helm now, would you ever consider a coaching gig?

Luis Gonzalez: My kids are sophomores in high school now. When they're done with high school, I'll seriously consider it. But for now I want to be able to enjoy their last few years at home and be a big part of their life.

Alex Rice: Gonzo when you were little who were your favorite players and teams to watch?

Luis Gonzalez: My favorite team growing up was the Cincinnati Reds because Spring Training was in Tampa, Florida. Pete Rose was my favorite player. I like his hustle and the way he played the game.

Tina Marinak: I've been dealing with an injury, and haven't been to a game in years. Gonzo please tell me Louie from the season ticket garage is still going? I know you had a friendship with him. Thanks.

Luis Gonzalez: Louie is a great man and a grandfather figure to me. I've always had a lot of love and respect for him.

JustinWilson: Hi Gonzo! I was the kid holding up the sign "Luis Gonzalez is #1" back in 2001. This is not really a question but I looked up to you back then and I still think your hit was one of the best hits I've seen at that young age.

Luis Gonzalez: I appreciate it. It means a lot to me and my teammates that you as a fan were such a huge part of our success!

Pheenie Berger: My husband just recently met you in HomeDepot and asked you to sign a 10 dollar bill for our 12 year old daughter Gianna who plays baseball. Let me tell you she found a frame so fast and that is one piece of currency that will never circulate again! You are so humble and sweet. You are amazing and that's why we all still love our Gonzo!!! Xoxoxoxo

Luis Gonzalez: Thank you for the kind words and that's why I love doing what I do!

John Murphy: I heard you had to choke up on the bat to hit Mariano Rivera, is that true?

Luis Gonzalez: My last at bat, yeah, I choked up a little bit to put the ball in play and get something out in the outfield over the infielders heads.

Rolando J Figueroa: What does the organization need to be a perennial contender in the NL West? I guess I wish for the time when we are the Braves of the West.

Luis Gonzalez: We feel like we're going in the right direction. We have great young arms in our Minor League system as well as in the big leagues. A great nucleus of young position players, so we feel we're moving in the right direction.

Sheila Remling Wohlrabe: Always a class act and a wonderful family man. Who do you give credit for your great values?

Luis Gonzalez: I would say my mom and my grandmother and my aunt. They were very inspirational in my life.

Johnny Klinko: If you could go back to your prime today, and could pick a current MLB squad, what team would you want to play with, other than the dbacks?

Luis Gonzalez: Probably the Detroit Tigers or the Washington Nationals because the Tigers have good hitting and the Nationals have good pitching.

Martha Palacios: What do you miss most since leaving baseball?

Luis Gonzalez: I miss the camaraderie with the guys in the locker room and the every day preparation and grind of going out there and playing, the challenges of playing every day.

Mark Simpson: What would you consider a successful season?

Luis Gonzalez: Every year a successful season is getting to the playoffs and trying to get to the World Series. If it doesn't happen, hopefully the players have gotten better and will work hard during the off-season to get back to postseason play next year.

Chad Cox: Who was the toughest pitcher you faced when you played? Who was your favorite pitcher you liked to face?

Luis Gonzalez: The two guys that gave me the worst fits were Jamie Moyer and Woody Williams. Greg Maddux and Pedro Martinez were two of my favorite guys to hit off of.

Amelia Bourke: What was your favorite stadium to play in / or visit?

Luis Gonzalez: Wrigley Field and Fenway Park. I like the history and nostalgia of both of those stadiums and their fans are very passionate about their teams.

Andrew Armstrong: Who was your favorite team mate during your career and what is your best memory of them?

Luis Gonzalez: I had a lot of great teammates. A couple of my favorites were Steve Finley, Craig Counsell, Reggie Sanders, Jay Bell. It's hard to pinpoint one. They were all great teammates and fun to play with.

Jessica Scout: Synarski Why are you seriously the nicest guy I've ever met ever? (I don't expect him to answer this hahah)

Luis Gonzalez: I enjoy being around people and always want to treat them the way I want to be treated.

Mikey Daniels: What was the 2nd most memorable hit of your career?

Luis Gonzalez: The 30-game hitting streak in 1999 at Candlestick Park. My first at bat was a home run to right-center.

Patrick Velazquez: What's the longest homerun you ever hit? And what stadium was it at?

Luis Gonzalez: I couldn't tell you. As long as they go over by an inch or a foot, they all count the same.