Four key features on the Colorado Rockies' new Nike City Connect uniform

Take a trip to Colorful Colorado through the eyes of the Colorado Rockies as the long awaited Nike City Connect uniforms are finally here.

On Friday, Denver’s favorite baseball club unveiled a jersey fashioned after the state license plate. From snow-capped mountains to the evergreen color – even the font – the vibe is evocative of the iconic look first established by the Centennial State back in 1960.

Though the other 10 City Connect caps and jerseys across MLB celebrate the city each respective club calls home, the Rockies’ alternative look encapsulates the entire state.

“While the uniform series is called City Connect, it was important they represent fans across the state,” said owner Dick Monfort in Friday’s announcement.

Welcome to Colorful Colorado

The first thing drivers see when they enter through Colorado’s borders is now a delicate touch on this uniforms that will be worn for the first time on June 4 against Atlanta and then on every Sunday home game at Coors Field.

The Patch

The “5280” is an obvious reference to Denver’s elevation and the numerals beneath it represent the exact coordinates of Coors Field. Black diamonds atop those figures are a nod to the state’s ski and snowboard destinations.

The Cap

The purple mountain majesty is front and center in the cap’s emblem with clear blue skies and the state’s “CO” abbreviation. The rings around this emblem aren’t random: red is for the color of the soil and gold for the state’s reputation of “300 days of sunshine.”

The Purple Row of Stitching

One of the most unique features of Coors Field is abundant throughout the uniform: The purple trim on the sleeves is meant to reflect the row of purple seats that sit at 5,280 feet.

For fans looking to get their hands on the Rockies’ new merchandise, sales have been limited to in-person only through June 5. Dugouts Stores, Rally Store at McGregor Square and the Diamond Dry Goods Store at Coors are expected to be fully stocked with swag from the MLB Shop on Fanatics.

The Rockies haven’t unveiled a specialty jersey unique to their franchise since 1999 when several teams participated in a Turn Ahead The Clock promotion. On August 18, 1999,  Larry Walker commemorated the day with two home runs in these sleeveless uniforms, the second of which was a walk-off.

Hall of Famer Larry Walker hit two home runs and a walk-off blast the last time the #Rockies unveiled a specialized jersey in 1999. pic.twitter.com/i62E43eq33

— DNVR Rockies (@DNVR_Rockies) May 27, 2022

Diamond Details

The license plate theme is something that’s been kicked around behind the scenes for a few of Colorado’s professional teams. The Rocky Mountain Vibes, a professional independent baseball organization with previous ties to the Rockies during their days as the Colorado Springs Sky Sox, had a similar design concept for a proposed “Colorado Proud” theme night.

According to Duane Brown, a DNVR employee who shared the alternative Vibes’ threads through an interoffice memo, great minds think alike.

First, let me say I think there is zero copying going on. Sometimes more than one person has the same idea. The first is my design for the Vibes last season. The second is the Rockies. For the record, I like them both. #Rockies  #LetsGoVibes #cityconnect pic.twitter.com/Cjg6jXk6MG

— Duane Brown (@theduanebrown) May 27, 2022

(Featured image of Connor Joe, Kyle Freeland, Germán Márquez and Ryan McMahon: Kyle Cooper of the Colorado Rockies)