David Lennon: Remembering Mets media trailblazer Shannon Dalton Forde and how her legacy lives on

The life and legacy of Shannon Dalton Forde was celebrated Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden on the 10th anniversary of her courageous battle lost to breast cancer.

Forde was the cherished Mets senior media relations director who became a trailblazer for women in the baseball industry, putting her front and center for some of the sport’s biggest events, including two World Series and an All-Star Game that were staged in Flushing.

Not that the spotlight was her thing. Forde’s superpower was doing the hard stuff with a smile, behind the scenes. That included the fierce four-year fight against a terrible disease that still could never dim her shine.

But for someone of Shannon’s stature — it just feels right going on a first-name basis with a friend — The World’s Most Famous Arena was a suitable venue, and where else could St. John’s University, her proud alma mater, present her family a personalized basketball jersey at midcourt?

To get a deeper understanding of Shannon’s lasting impact, however, requires a look farther west, across the Hudson, roughly 10 miles from the Garden, to a neighborhood diamond in her hometown of Little Ferry, New Jersey.

For nearly a decade, shortly after her passing at the age of 44, it’s been known as Shannon Dalton Forde Memorial Field, a living tribute to what she meant to a community that has branched out from her backyard to really every ballpark, at any level.

The amazing part about Shannon’s field — it just feels right to call it that — is what has changed during the passage of time. Often, the years can take a toll on such treasured places, a wearing-down, by a combination of fading memories and harsh winters. But what has happened instead, on this 10th anniversary, is a renewal and reinvigoration, with Shannon’s spirit as guide, whether it’s through the caretakers, the coaches or waves of Little Leaguers and softball players.

Ronald Klein, who had known Shannon since they were classmates at Little Ferry High, is now a police captain in the town and lives across the street from the ballfield. He’s been instrumental in the renovation from the start, leading up to the 2017 dedication. He has been working with Phil Delgado, the women’s softball coach for nearby Felician University, on this next phase, which includes a new scoreboard and press box — both bearing Shannon’s name.

The plan also calls for a bronze plaque to be displayed out front — once the original sign is repositioned on the press box — that will detail Shannon’s life for the generations to follow.

“When people visit, they can just read who Shannon was,” said her younger sister, Alicia Reilly. “That makes my heart smile.”

Delgado never got to meet Shannon. But now that Felician — a small private Catholic school of about 3,000 students — uses the diamond as his team’s home park, he’s been a driving force in not only upgrading every aspect of the facility but telling people and his players about Shannon, and why they play on a field named for her.

“The thing we talk about all the time is just honoring her,” Delgado said. “She was one of the first in her business, so she set the precedent. There’s more women in those roles now because of her. So for us, we’re trying to do our little bit of passing that torch to the next generations as well.”

In part, Delgado was referring to the clinics his players host for the younger girls at Shannon’s field, further extending her reach. When he’s not helping with the upkeep of the facility, he’s in discussions about new additions, whether it’s indoor batting cages, bullpens or enclosed dugouts.

When the park was first dedicated, it was more about revival than restoration; Major League Baseball and the Mets spearheaded a fundraising effort of more than $235,000 to turn a neglected lot back into a field of dreams. But now, with help from the Amazin’ Mets Foundation and private donors, Delgado and Klein have taken the early vision to the next level.

“Just the history and connection is awesome,” Klein said. “The fact that she grew up in this town, played softball in town. That field was horrible before we renovated it with the fundraiser through MLB.”

Said Reilly: “I love the fact that they’re using it for women’s softball and they’re using it for an NCAA team.”

Also, the synergy and camaraderie between the Little Ferry youth leagues and the Felician team could not be a better reflection of Shannon’s influence with the Mets. She often was the first person to greet new players upon their arrival, then went to work getting them up to speed — or making sure they understood the responsibilities of being a Met.

Longtime PR guru Jay Horwitz, who was Shannon’s mentor in addition to being an organizational father figure, likes to tell stories of her breaking up card games to get players to interviews. Or going on rehab stints with Mike Piazza or hand-holding homegrown stars David Wright to get them accustomed to Queens.

“It was like a big-sister, little-brother relationship,” Wright said at the 2017 dedication. “She was always looking out for me.”

Nearly a decade later, a lot has changed. The field’s dedication was attended by dozens of Mets VIPs, including now-former owners, front-office members, managers and players. Shannon spent 22 years working for the Mets, and Horwitz — the only prominent figure from her tenure still employed by the team — works just as tirelessly to keep her legacy alive.

“A lot of people talked about her as a cancer survivor and she hated the pity of people asking,” Horwitz said. “I remember how hard of a worker she was, and back in the ’90s, a woman in PR for pro sports, you didn’t really see that.”

On Tuesday, the Garden’s videoboard showed flashbacks of Shannon’s time between those lines. Another million of her smiling snapshots exist in our memories, from an enduring highlight reel. But on the 10th anniversary of saying goodbye, there’s an ever-evolving ballfield, and very soon a press box, where Shannon’s story is still being told. And maybe, hopefully, making an impact on people who hear it.

“It’s super-exciting that I get to use Shannon as kind of an everyday mantra,” Delgado said. “I’m teaching softball, but we’re really preparing them to take life on. And if my players can attack life the way Shannon did, we’re winning here.”