October 1st, 2006. The Arizona Diamondbacks bid farewell to two things that were synonymous with the franchise. The organization said goodbye to franchise outfielder Luis Gonzalez and the color scheme that many fans grew to love and the color style that most fans associate the team with. 

The colors that the team were introduced in were no more. The colors that the Diamondbacks won their first World Series title were no more. The jersey that Randy Johnson pitched his perfect game in would be retired. The iconic colors made their return over the years on specific throwback days and even became the main jersey on throwback Thursdays.

In November, the Diamondbacks revealed their jersey lineup for the 2020 season which has the new Nike logo on the right side of the uniform. There was one thing missing from that lineup. It was the purple and teal jersey that many D-Backs fans love. We will have to wait and see what happens with that one.

Here is why the D-Backs should return to the jersey that started it all.

What is old is new again

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In their 22 year existence, the Diamondbacks have changed their uniforms a total four times, but nothing compares to the classic purple and teal. The jerseys have aged pretty good and still feel like good ole days when watching them wear the jerseys. The uniforms just feel timeless and classic when on the nine players taking the field.

If the D-Backs did return to their original colors but modified the jerseys, they would be the second team in the National League West to do so. The San Diego Padres just returned to the classic brown and gold color style and the reveal was epic. The fanfare for this change was very positive, with a lot of people showing up for the unveiling event. 

The Toronto Blue Jays, the Milwaukee Brewers, and Texas Rangers have also adapted their old colors to their uniforms as well. Teams like the Los Angeles Dodgers, San Francisco Giants, Chicago Cubs and Boston Red Sox have modified their uniforms over the years but have kept the classic feel the same.

In Major League Baseball alone, 10 franchises have red in their logo and feature a red jersey. The Colorado Rockies are the only team with purple in their color style and have kept it that way since 1993.

Diamondbacks CEO Derrick Hall had this to say about the change to the Sedona red and Sonoran San colors:

"It was a difficult time. I had just gotten here (to the franchise) when the decision was being made to change the colors. But the reasons behind were certainly understandable. 

There was no red in our division. The Rockies were already purple. We had complaints from Major League Baseball and others saying it is very difficult to match the purple and it looks like blue on TV."

Sustained staying potential in the valley

Even though the praise for the new jerseys it pretty high, there are plenty of fans out there that would love a return to the purple and teal colors that the D-Backs started with.

In 2018, the D-Backs celebrated their 20th anniversary. During that season, Arizona wore jerseys from their 20 years of existence. Four jerseys from the early years made an appearance and it was very refreshing to see. Seeing those jerseys brought back so many great feelings for so many in the crowd. Generation D-Backs was the twitter slogan for that season, but there is a part of the young generation that still have a passion for the purple and teal.

There are plenty of fans still buying retro hats when put on the shelves locally at the Chase Field store or at the local Hat Club in the malls or online from MLB.com's online store. Even celebrities put on the classic jersey or colors from time to time, giving fresh eyes to a product that does not exist anymore.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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At the end of the day, it is a long shot for the D-Backs to even consider going back to the purple and teal. In three years, the Diamondbacks will celebrate their 25th anniversary. Maybe then, they will listen to their fanbase and switch to the colors that are closely associated with the team. It will be then that Generation D-Backs will come to fruition and make new memories in the purple and teal.