Shannon Forde's legacy lives on in her hometown

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- Shannon Forde's legacy is alive and well. Her 22-year career with the Mets took her from intern to director of public relations, before she tragically died in March 2016 at age 44 following a 3 1/2-year fight with breast cancer.

As Women's History Month nears its end, Forde's memory lives on in part due to Shannon Dalton Forde Field, built in her honor in her hometown on Little Ferry, N.J., with the support of Major League Baseball. Local colleges and high schools play on the field.

"Honestly, it's the most popular field in Little Ferry right now because it is [well-kept]," said Forde's younger sister, Alicia Reilly. "You have a lot of people who have put permits for it and want to use it."

The Bloomfield College women's softball team is having fun playing at Forde Field. Entering Thursday's action, the team had won four out of its last six games. Bloomfield is honored to be playing on a field that is named after Forde. Plus, the team knows her history.

"She was someone who was hard working. She is somebody that a lot of young women aspire to be," said Bloomfield softball coach Phil Delgado. "We honor Shannon every time we get on the field. It's something our players and myself are blessed and in awe of. We try to represent ourselves the way Shannon represented herself -- a young enthusiastic go-getter who is willing to grind it out."

• Forde honored: 'Her memory has carried on'

Bloomfield's best pitcher is right-hander Taylor Galyean, and she is the type of person who grinds it out the way Forde did with the Mets. Galyean recently pitched a no-hitter against Millersville. She faced 25 batters and struck out 15.

"Pitching the no-hitter was probably one of the proudest moments of my own career," Galyean said. "I think it was even cooler to have it done on Forde Field. I know what it means to a lot of people. It's our home field. Getting to share it with my team was pretty cool."

Galyean said she had Forde on her mind when she pitched the no-hitter.

"Being able to play college softball on a field that means so much to every life she touched and being able to represent it really well, I take a lot of pride in that," Galyean said.

Forde has been gone six years and Reilly is amazed that Shannon's spirit shines on.

"It's incredibly amazing [that she is not forgotten]," Reilly said. "I thought I knew her. I don't think I did. I learned so many things. She was truly remarkable. She taught me how to live. As much as she could work 90 hours a week, she would still go to concerts, the movies and still go on vacations. She lived every moment."