PHOENIX -- Fans who miss the Diamondbacks' original purple and teal team colors were no doubt thrilled at the club’s Nike City Connect 2.0 uniforms, which were unveiled Monday morning.
Even fans of the Arizona's current color scheme will appreciate the nod to the team’s short but rich history. The uniform incorporates iconic Diamondbacks jerseys over the years in a cutting-edge redesign.
“I like them,” Diamondbacks right-hander Zac Gallen said. “I think they did a good job. When talking to a lot of the people that are immersed in the community, that was one thing that they kind of hoped -- that purple and teal would be incorporated back into the uniform.”
Starting Monday at 10 a.m. MST, fans can get their brand-new Serpientes gear at the Team Shop at Chase Field. Supplies are limited and expected to go fast.
The new City Connect uniforms replace the original version, which debuted 2021, and had a desert sand color.
The one constant between the two uniforms is the script “Serpientes” across the chest with the snake in the form of an “S” on the hat.
The new version, however, has a number of unique features to make it representative of Arizona, including an “Arizona Born” graphic on the collar, which is a nod to the Diamondbacks belonging to the entire state and not just Phoenix and the Valley.
“Our new City Connects are uniquely special to our organization, embodying every facet of what makes us the Arizona Diamondbacks," D-backs CEO Derrick Hall said. "These uniforms represent a great sense of pride for our history, a celebration of our state’s deep-rooted culture, and notably, a nod to our fans, whose unwavering dedication and passion for this team is depicted in the jerseys’ colors. We are very proud of what we created in collaboration with Nike and cannot wait to see them on the field, in the stands and throughout all of Arizona.”
That is also represented on the “flag” patch on the sleeve, which has the Diamondbacks “A” logo with the Arizona state flag coming out of the top of it in purple and black.
The jersey itself pays tribute to the original jersey as well as it’s “evolutionary jersey” from 2016-19 by blending pinstripes with a snakeskin pattern. The sleeve, meanwhile, features a modern interpretation of the distinctive braiding from the team’s classic alternate uniforms.
The Diamondbacks wore purple and teal in the initial seasons in franchise history, which included division titles in 1999, 2001 and 2002 and a World Series championship in '01.
“I think the history that comes with those colors and the kind of the success the organization had when those colors were worn is something people look back fondly on,” Gallen said. “I think it gives them good memories.”
Several Diamondbacks players are fond of the pairing of purple and teal. Outfielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. dyes his hair purple, while second baseman Ketel Marte wears purple and teal cleats.
“Selfishly, I like the purple,” Gallen said. “I think that whole uniform concept is really good. I'm glad that they're incorporating some purple, and I think the uniforms overall are pretty cool. There are some subtle things that people, maybe at first glance, won't see until they get a jersey in their hands and see the little kind of details that they added into the uniform that make them unique.”
The Diamondbacks will wear the new uniforms for the first time Friday night, when they host the Dodgers at Chase Field. They will wear the uniforms again on Saturday and then every Friday home game throughout the rest of the season.