SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- They were so '90s, those Diamondbacks uniforms with the big block letters across the chest and those Yankee-style pinstripes.

Purple and teal? The Marlins had already cashed in on teal. And as the Diamondbacks' new president, Derrick Hall, said on Wednesday night, even the Rockies, a team in their own division, had co-opted purple.

It was time for a change, and as you can tell by the Sedona Red tone of their Web page -- dbacks.com -- the new world order has begun. The '90s are out and Arizona has boldly moved into the new millennium.

"I felt that if we didn't do it very soon, we might never do it," Jeff Moorad, the club's general partner, told MLB.com during a discussion of the new colors, uniforms and logos on Wednesday night. "Nine years in, is it appropriate to rethink philosophies of the past? I think so. Ten, 11, 12 years in, you start to buck tradition."

It's Year 10 in the young history of Arizona's only Major League Baseball franchise, and it began with pizzazz in a makeshift ballroom on the grounds of the Valley Ho, a hotel that was once past its prime, but has been resurrected to reflect the lights and glitz of contemporary Scottsdale.

The local beautiful people and the literati were all there for what was billed as the "Sedona Red Launch Party." From Jeremy Roenick of the NHL's Coyotes to Matt Leinart of the NFL's Cardinals to rap artists Master P and Young MC. There was Commissioner Bud Selig sitting next to Edgerrin James, the running back who must be dreading his decision to leave the undefeated Colts and head west to play for the dreaded 1-7 Dead Birds.

Daron Sutton, who was only recently hired to replace Thom Brennaman as the club's lead play-by-play man, came from Milwaukee to be co-master of ceremonies along with Mark Grace. Some first assignment. During the lengthy intros, Sutton went through a quick Young MC riff, the rapper giving the announcer a dollar for his effort.

Turning to Grace, Sutton tossed a loaded one worthy of his father Don, a Hall of Fame pitcher.

"My first [gig] and I've already gotten a raise," Sutton quipped.

That said, a gaggle of D-backs, led by manager Bob Melvin, waltzed down the runway wearing the new unis, reminding of a scene from the cult film, "Slap Shot," when, during an ill-conceived fashion show, a disgruntled member of the hockey team threatens to flash the audience. And does.

This time, there was no threat of flashing. Just a red top with gray pants; a black top with white pants; white-on-white home fare and gray-on-gray road fare with the new font "D-backs" and "Arizona" blazoned across the chest. Add a red cap with that new serpent-like "D" spitting and rattling above the brim, and the wardrobe looked luscious.

"We feel like what we've hit on is a compelling brand, and a compelling set of logos and colors," Moorad said. "Hopefully, they will be colors our fans will come to appreciate and be proud of for a long time."

Make no mistake about it, the colors are more exciting than the description. Now, if general manager Josh Byrnes can form a winning combination by rebuilding the pitching staff to compliment the gaggle of good young position players who will wear those new unis, the fans will love it.

They loved the purple and teal when the Diamondbacks beat the Yankees in seven thrilling games to win the 2001 World Series. In the long, slow slog that has been the seasons since then, the purple and teal hasn't been so hot.

Over time, the manager has changed, ownership has changed, the team president, general manager and most of the front office has changed. With the departure of Luis Gonzalez, Craig Counsell and Miguel Batista, the roster is now completely different.

Though Moorad insists that too much should not be read into all this, at least symbolically, the change of color, logos and uniforms effectively completes the transition.

"This isn't reflective of one ownership group or another," Moorad said. "It's reflective of what we as an organization think is the right thing to do going forward. It's deeper. There's no sense of finger pointing or blame. I hesitate to agree because it implies that the uniform changes are more than they are."

But certainly this ownership group is putting its collective fingerprints on their time. The old group had its players, it colors, its championship, it's own lead play-by-play announcer. Even the name of the downtown domed ballpark was different.

When D-backs fans arrive at Chase Field on April 9 for the home opener against the Reds, they'll be witness to the official start of a new era.

Some of them were there for the pregame chat sessions with season-ticket holders as the new brand was test-marketed this year. Moorad concluded, unabashedly, that they liked what they saw.

"The more we probed the issue, the more we researched the issue, the more convinced we became that this was the right move for the long term," he said. "This is something we don't intend to do again."

So give it a chance, all you doubters and cynics. Out with the teal. In with the new. There will be more championships to win in Sedona red. The '90s are gone, and like Deep Purple, they ain't coming back.