Jeremy T. Ringfield's Blog, page 174

Nonprofit groups sue Trump administration over election executive order, calling it unconstitutional

By ALI SWENSON

NEW YORK (AP) — Two election watchdog organizations sued President Donald Trump’s administration on Monday over his executive order seeking to overhaul the nation’s elections through a proof-of-citizenship requirement, new mail ballot deadline restrictions and other sweeping changes.

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The lawsuit, filed by the Campaign Legal Center and the State Democracy Defenders Fund in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, asks the court to declare the order unconstitutional and stop it from being implemented.

It names three nonprofit voter advocacy organizations as plaintiffs that it alleges are harmed by the order: the League of United Latin American Citizens, the Secure Families Initiative and the Arizona Students’ Association.

“The president’s executive order is an unlawful action that threatens to uproot our tried-and-tested election systems and silence potentially millions of Americans,” said Danielle Lang, senior director of voting rights at the D.C.-based Campaign Legal Center. “It is simply not within the president’s authority to set election rules by executive decree, especially when they would restrict access to voting in this way.”

The White House didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

Monday’s lawsuit marks the first major legal challenge to last week’s executive order, which election lawyers have warned may violate the U.S. Constitution and asserts power they say the president does not have over an independent agency. That agency, the U.S. Election Assistance Commission, sets voluntary voting system guidelines and maintains the federal voter registration form.

New voting tabulators are pictured at the Registrars of Voters Office, Thursday, March 27, 2025, in Vernon, Conn. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)

It comes as Congress is considering codifying a proof-of-citizenship requirement for voter registration into law, and as Trump has promised more actions related to elections in the coming weeks.

The lawsuit draws attention to the Constitution’s “ Elections Clause,” which says states — not the president — get to decide the “times, places and manner” of how elections are run. That section of the Constitution also gives Congress the power to “make or alter” election regulations, at least for federal office, but it doesn’t mention any presidential authority over election administration.

“The Constitution is clear: States set their own rules of the road when it comes to elections, and only Congress has the power to override these laws with respect to federal elections,” said Lang, calling the executive order an “unconstitutional executive overreach.”

The lawsuit also argues the president’s order intrudes on Americans’ right to vote.

Trump, one of the top spreaders of election falsehoods, has argued this executive order will secure the vote against illegal voting by noncitizens. Multiple studies and investigations in individual states have shown that noncitizens casting ballots in federal elections, already a felony, is exceedingly rare.

Monday’s lawsuit against Trump’s elections order could be just the first of many challenges. Other voting rights advocates have said they’re considering legal action, including the American Civil Liberties Union and Democratic attorney Marc Elias. Several Democratic state attorneys general have said they are looking closely at the order and suspect it is illegal.

Meanwhile, Trump’s order has received praise from the top election officials in some Republican states who say it could inhibit instances of voter fraud and give them access to federal data to better maintain their voter rolls.

If courts determine the order can stand, the changes Trump is demanding are likely to cause some headaches for both election administrators and voters. State election officials, who already have lost some federal cybersecurity assistance, would have to spend time and money to comply with the order, including potentially buying new voting systems and educating voters of the rules.

The proof-of-citizenship requirement also could cause confusion or voter disenfranchisement because millions of eligible voting-age Americans do not have the proper documents readily available. In Kansas, which had a proof-of-citizenship requirement for three years before it was overturned, the state’s own expert estimated that almost all the roughly 30,000 people who were prevented from registering to vote during the time it was in effect were U.S. citizens who had been eligible.

Monday’s lawsuit is the latest of numerous efforts to fight the flurry of executive actions Trump has taken during the first months of his second term. Federal judges have partially or fully blocked many of them, including efforts to restrict birthright citizenship, ban transgender people from military service and curb diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives among federal contractors and grant recipients.

The Associated Press receives support from several private foundations to enhance its explanatory coverage of elections and democracy. See more about the AP’s democracy initiative here. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

Approach slabs to Highway 218 bridge over FORTAG trail curing this week

DEL REY OAKS – Concrete approach slabs are curing this week for the Highway 218 bridge over the Fort Ord Regional Trail and Greenway pedestrian and cyclist passageway as construction continues on the Canyon Del Rey segment of the trail project.

The 1.5-mile Canyon Del Rey segment is the first phase of the FORTAG project which is proposed to be an approximately 28-mile continuous 12-foot-wide paved bicycle and pedestrian trail with an open-space buffer on both sides.

Part of the work includes the construction of a bridge in Del Rey Oaks that will accommodate a portion of the FORTAG trail which will run under Highway 218, also known as Canyon Del Rey Boulevard, linking Work Memorial and Del Rey parks with the Frog Pond Wetland Preserve. It will enable hikers, cyclists and pedestrians to move freely under the roadway through a 10.5-foot-high passageway.

Approach slabs are the concrete sections that connect roadways to bridges, providing a smooth transition and reducing settlement issues. The curing of concrete approach slabs refers to the process of maintaining adequate moisture, temperature and time to allow the concrete to properly hydrate and gain strength after placement.

This week’s work will also entail the continued forming, pouring concrete, removing forms and back filling for retaining walls and drainage systems in the Work Memorial Park area.

Access to Work Memorial Park, the Butterfly Garden and tennis courts is restricted during construction. The Frog Pond Wetland Preserve is closed for the remainder of stage 1 construction and is expected to reopen in October. Work Avenue between Saucito Avenue and Carlton Drive including the island will be closed through August.

Construction this week will also see the continued grading, forming, installing rebar, pouring concrete and backfilling for sidewalks, ramps and retaining curbs along Plumas Avenue between Noche Buena and Highland streets in Seaside, as well as the continued grading, forming, installing rebar, pouring concrete and backfilling for sidewalks, curbs and gutters, ramps and retaining curbs along Carlton Drive in Del Rey Oaks, the continued drainage system improvements, removal of asphalt and grading along Work Avenue between Saucito Avenue and Carlton Drive, and pedestrian signing and striping improvements on Highway 218 at Work Avenue.

Construction of the Canyon Del Rey Segment of the FORTAG project is being done in phases and different areas of the project will be affected at different times, according to the Transportation Agency for Monterey County. As the project moves forward, residents and businesses will be provided additional notifications in advance of bridge foundation work (pile driving) and work that restricts driveway access. Construction is expected to last through August 2026.

Work hours are 7 a.m.-7 p.m., Monday through Friday. No pile driving work is to occur once it’s dark out. The contractor’s plan is to limit the majority of work between 7 a.m.-5 p.m. When needed, night work hours are from 9 p.m.-6 a.m., Sunday through Thursday, unless authorized for specific operations with advance notice.

For information about the FORTAG project or to sign up for updates, visit https://www.tamcmonterey.org/fort-ord..., or email 79829@publicinput.com.

Horoscopes March 31, 2025: Ewan McGregor, a positive attitude will promote extraordinary results

CELEBRITIES BORN ON THIS DAY: Jessica Szohr, 40; Ewan McGregor, 54; Christopher Walken, 82; Shirley Jones, 91.

Happy Birthday: A positive attitude will promote extraordinary results. Put your energy into socializing, networking and connecting with people heading in a similar direction as you. Refuse to let uncertainty set in and deter you from reaching your full potential. Welcome change, and you’ll discover skills that help you parlay something you enjoy doing into your daily routine or a moneymaking project. Research and apply information to improve your life, relationships and financial well-being. Your numbers are 2, 15, 23, 27, 31, 43, 47.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): It’s time to multiply whatever works best for you and to withdraw from whatever appears to be holding you back. Restructuring your routine, lifestyle or health regime to fit your objective will ease stress and help you become more efficient. Change begins with you and how you manage your time and money. 3 stars

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Review your options before you say or do something that can influence a meaningful relationship, your reputation or your position. You can accomplish the most by setting high standards, drawing from innovative ideas and suggestions, and working behind the scenes to complete your mission on time. Home improvements and romance are favored. 3 stars

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Communication is the best route forward. Use your extensive vocabulary and charm to convince others to participate in something that matters to you. Realistically adapting your expectations will be necessary to make a difference. Strategize and be ready to go above and beyond the call of duty. 3 stars

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Do the work yourself, and you’ll avoid setbacks. Be receptive to change and eager to take on projects that can define your skills and lead to new opportunities. Set the stage for success, and you’ll gain respect and recognition for who you are and what you do. Personal growth and popularity are apparent. 4 stars

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): You may have to restructure what you do or how you deal with others to get things done. Stop dreaming and start doing before someone steps in and takes over. Learn from experience and stick to a routine and schedule you can handle. Put your energy into creative development. 2 stars

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Set limits to avoid debt and outside interference. Choose your direction based on what you can handle, and avoid making impossible promises. Focus on your health and diet, and maintain balance and equality in all you pursue. A physical change will lead to compliments. Romance is in the stars. 5 stars

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Live and learn. Participate in events that offer insight into alternative ways to use your skills or market yourself. An interesting conversation will encourage you to join forces with someone unique or incorporate what you hear into your daily routine. Open-mindedness and receptivity will lead to new beginnings. 3 stars

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Initiate plans. Your actions will position you for success. Networking events will offer insight into the possibilities. Communication is the key to introductions and making your way upstream in a competitive environment. Let your charm lead the way, your discipline be your strength and the results you achieve your calling card. 3 stars

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Tread softly. Be careful what you imply. Someone will take advantage of you if you aren’t explicit regarding what you can and are willing to do. Get what you want in writing, review the fine print and dodge impulsive action or drama. An emotional situation will result in poor decisions. 3 stars

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Educate yourself before you take sides or participate in something questionable. Make a change if it will help you avoid a no-win situation. Put your energy into what’s meaningful to you and the people you appreciate most. Make your surroundings your comfort zone by creating a stress-free, safe place as your retreat. 5 stars

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Keep your finger on the pulse and your mind on what matters. Home improvements that offer space to pursue a profitable pastime or a place to rejuvenate will pay off. Express your intentions and desires, and find out where you stand. It’s up to you to ask for what you want. 2 stars

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Don’t waste precious time on people and pastimes that cause grief. Set your sights on what and who offers positive input and pushes you toward taking responsibility for your life choices and happiness. It’s time to please yourself. Personal gain and growth are apparent, and romance is favored. 4 stars

Birthday Baby: You are outgoing, helpful and insightful. You are productive and accommodating.

1 star: Avoid conflicts; work behind the scenes.

2 stars: You can accomplish, but don’t rely on others.

3 stars: Focus and you’ll reach your goals.

4 stars: Aim high; start new projects.

5 stars: Nothing can stop you; go for gold.

Visit Eugenialast.com, or join Eugenia on Twitter/Facebook/LinkedIn.

Want a link to your daily horoscope delivered directly to your inbox each weekday morning? Sign up for our free Coffee Break newsletter at mercurynews.com/newsletters or eastbaytimes.com/newsletters.

Warriors start fast, blow out Spurs, move back into No. 6 playoff spot

The Warriors got off to a torrid start Sunday, evened their road trip record at 2-2 and moved back into the No. 6 playoff position in the Western Conference.

After starting slowly in their first three games of the trip, the Warriors exploded out of the gate for 44 points in the first quarter and kept it up throughout a 148-106 win over the San Antonio Spurs.

The point total was the highest of the season, surpassing the 140 points against Portland in the regular-season opener on Oct. 23. The Warriors shot 57.7 percent from the floor (56-for-97) and were 21 of 44 from 3-point land. Even Kevon Looney, who didn’t have a 3-pointer all season, got into the act in the fourth quarter.

“We’ve been talking about getting off to better starts and we got off to a great start,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. “The offense was pretty crisp, the guys did a good job defensively. That set the tone for the whole night.”

Of the Warriors’ 56 field goals, 42 came on assisted baskets. They committed only 12 turnovers.

At 42-31, the Warriors moved back into the sixth spot — the last position that doesn’t include a play-in game — with the Los Angeles Clippers moving from sixth to eighth at 42-32 after a road loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Eight games remain in the regular season.

Brandin Podziemski led the Warriors with 27 points and had a career-high seven 3-point baskets in nine attempts. Moses Moody had 20 points and three 3-pointers, Buddy Hield 19, Draymond Green 14 and Jimmy Butler III and Stephen Curry 13 each.

“There was an emphasis on moving the ball, getting easy early shots, and then playing good defense and kind of putting the two things together,” Podziemski said. “We had two bad shooting nights in a row in Miami and New Orleans, so it had to come around at some point and tonight was the night.”

The biggest cheer came for Looney with his 3-pointer.

“Steve finally drew up a play for me, so I had to shoot it,” Looney said.

Keldon Johnson led San Antonio with 19 points, with Sandro Mamukeleshvili scoring 14 and Devin Vassell 12.

The Warriors improved to 18-5 since the acquisition of Butler and are 11-0 with the starting lineup of Butler, Curry, Green, Moody and Podziemski. All five players were in double figures by the time the fourth quarter started.

By the time the Warriors made their first substitution with 5:21 left in the first quarter, they led 28-16.

In his pregame talk with reporters, Kerr explained why the smallish lineup has been so successful.

“The group complements each other,” Kerr said. “You’ve got the playmaking of B.P. and Jimmy, the shooting of Moses and Steph, and obviously Draymond anchoring everything. It’s a small group, but pretty dynamic offensively. It’s kind of a modern NBA lineup, but not without its challenges against certain matchups.”

After three quarters, the Warriors led by 38 points (111-73) and Podziemski already had a career high with six 3-point baskets.

Getty ImagesStephen Curry reacts after hitting a first-half 3-pointer in a 148-106 road win over the San Antonio Spurs.

The Warriors led 68-44 at halftime with one of their best halves of the season, albeit against a 31-43 Spurs team that’s without 7-foot-3 phenom Victor Wembanyama (blood clot), guard De’Aaron Fox (torn tendon) and coach Gregg Popovich (minor stroke), none of whom will be back before the season ends.

Curry led the Warriors with 11 points on six shots even though he didn’t score until 6:20 remained in the first quarter with the Warriors already leading by 13 points. Butler had 10 points and four assists and Green nine points.

About the only negative in the first half was the sight of Jonathan Kuminga taking a hard fall on his tailbone (similar to the one Curry had last week) and leaving with 5:33 left in the first half. Kuminga was ruled out at halftime, but not with a tailbone injury, but right ankle soreness. Kerr said he hoped the injury wasn’t serious enough for Kuminga to miss time.

The Warriors highest scoring first quarter of the season included 17-for-24 shooting (70.8 percent) coming just one game after opening with a 14-2 deficit against New Orleans. The 44 points was tied for the biggest quarter of the season, equaling that total on Dec. 8 against Minnesota.

Curry scored just two points — and by the time he took (and made) his first shot with 6:20 left and the Warriors already leading 24-11. Butler had 10 points in the quarter and Green nine.

Two games remain on a six-game road trip and both have considerable playoff ramifications.

The Warriors visit Memphis (44-30) Tuesday night, with the Grizzlies playing their second game after abruptly firing six-year coach Taylor Jenkins and replacing him with interim coach Tuomas Iisalo. Memphis is currently in the No. 5 position in the Western Conference.

Then on Thursday night, the road trip concludes in Los Angeles against the Lakers, the fourth seed at 45-29.

The trip started with back-to-back losses to Miami and Atlanta before a win over New Orleans when Curry was out with a pelvic contusion.

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After the Warriors face the Lakers, they return to Chase Center on Thursday to host Denver on Friday and then Houston on Sunday.

CHECKING IN ON POP

Kerr said he got to see Popovich, who he played for in San Antonio, and was encouraged about his progress from a minor stroke.

“I saw him today and he looks great, doing great,” Kerr said. “He’s one of the most important people in my life and I’m hoping everything continues to progress.”

 

49ers struggle to find Aiyuk trade partner ahead of bonus deadline: report

One of the biggest possible moves in a 49ers offseason full of cost-cutting measures may not come to fruition.

San Francisco is not expected to trade wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk before Tuesday, when he is set to receive a $22.85 million roster bonus, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Sunday, adding that the 49ers are unlikely to trade Aiyuk this offseason after he receives the bonus.

Aiyuk’s four-year, $120 million contract signed late last August is one of the most expensive deals on the 49ers’ books as they attempt to clear space for an expected mega-extension for quarterback Brock Purdy. It is also likely a significant hurdle in negotiations with any team interested in adding Aiyuk, who is recovering from tearing the ACL and MCL in his right knee last October in a loss to the Chiefs.

The injury limited Aiyuk to seven games in 2024, when he caught just 25 passes for 374 yards and did not score a touchdown, a disappointing follow-up to being named a second-team All-Pro player in a breakout 2023 season as the 49ers made a run to the Super Bowl.

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The five-plus months between the Super Bowl loss to Kansas City and Aiyuk signing his contract featured all sorts of posturing on social media and trade discussions as the 49ers appeared poised to send the receiver to Pittsburgh and he was also tied to another AFC North team in the Cleveland Browns. The 49ers also drafted Ricky Pearsall Jr. in the first round despite having an established receiving trio of Aiyuk, Deebo Samuel and Jauan Jennings, alongside All-Pro receiving options in tight end George Kittle and running back Christian McCaffrey.

Jennings received a second-round tender from the 49ers and Kittle may be up for an extension, but Samuel was traded to Washington for a fifth-round pick in the 49ers’ cap purge. That will be the extent of the cost-cutting impact on the receivers room unless something significant changes before Tuesday.

Gilroy Garlic Festival to return six years after mass shooting

The Gilroy Garlic Festival is returning six years after a mass shooting brought the annual tradition to an abrupt end.

The event will take place July 25-27 at a new location, the Gilroy Gardens theme park, the Gilroy Garlic Festival Association announced Friday afternoon. “We are grateful for the continued support of the Gilroy community, city of Gilroy, Gilroy Gardens, and our dedicated partners who have helped make this return possible,” the association said.

Business leaders and festival organizers rejoiced Saturday at the news.

“It’s a great reunion for all of Gilroy and surrounding community,” said Mark Jacobsen, the secretary of the association, who is excited to welcome back festival-goers from all over the region.

Jacobsen, who has been involved with the festival since 1999, is looking forward to the return of Gourmet Alley, a strip of food stalls where chefs whip up unique garlic creations. He can’t wait to chow down on his favorite pepper steak sandwich, scampi and “all that garlicky goodness.”

The festival will be a limited-capacity experience, welcoming up to 3,000 guests with presold tickets per day, according to the association.

Festival-goers can expect signature garlic dishes, live entertainment, arts and crafts and other cherished traditions, the group said. Additional event details, including ticketing and programming, will be revealed in the coming weeks.

For local business owners like Alex Larson, co-owner of the Gilroy Garlic Shoppe and Rapazzini Wine, the festival’s comeback will bring opportunities for businesses to showcase their creations. The shop plans to feature an array of 40 food products during the local celebration, including a free sampling of their iconic garlic ice cream

“It will be fun to display our wares on a world-wide stage again,” he said.

The Gilroy Garlic Festival has enjoyed international acclaim for nearly 40 years, evolving from a humble luncheon in 1978 to an event with an attendance of around 100,000.

The festival also served as a key source of funding for the city’s nonprofits and local organizations — thanks to its creative business model that donated festival proceeds to groups that supplied volunteers to staff the event.

The festival was last held in 2019. On July 28 of that year, a gunman wounded 17 people and killed three — Stephen Romero, 6, of San Jose; Keyla Salazar, 13, of San Jose; and Trevor Irby, 25, of Santa Cruz.

Efforts to bring back the festival began as early as 2020, but they were hindered by the pandemic. In 2021, the association attempted a smaller iteration at Gilroy Gardens, but the insurance liability climbed from $6 million to $10 million after the shooting. At that rate, the association could not afford for anyone to insure the festival.

Councilmember Tom Cline, who served as president of the festival association from 2019 until 2021, said the association struggled to move forward with the event after the tragedy and the subsequent COVID-19 pandemic.

“I know that the board has worked really hard in getting to this place,” he said Saturday. “It says a lot about the resilience of the association, to keep moving forward and getting this done.”

The association had considered moving the event out of Gilroy to a new location, Cline said, but organizers decided the festival belongs in the city.

“What we have in Gilroy, with the festival and what it means to the community, it’s something you can’t bottle up and take somewhere else,” he said. “It’s Gilroy at its finest.”

Mercury News staff writer Luis Melecio-Zambrano contributed to this report.

Ramos, Chapman shine on both sides of ball as SF Giants take first series

CINCINNATI — It was a game that seemingly had a little bit of everything. Dueling perfect game bids that both fell apart. Home runs, four in total. An overturned call and a pitch clock violation, each of which had instant ramifications. A behind-the-back catch. And Gold Glove defense by a third baseman with five of them to his name.

In the end, the Giants (2-1) ended Sunday’s matinee at Great American Ball Park with a 6-3 win over the Reds (1-2), taking two of three from Cincinnati to open the season. Not a bad start to the Buster Posey era.

“Obviously, we expect to win every game, but to win every series, that’s our goal,” said third baseman Matt Chapman. “To come in, win a series on the road early in the season is tough. Emotions are high. Everybody’s still kind of getting settled in. … I believe (the Reds are) going to be a good team. So, it’s big for us.”

San Francisco had no shortage of contributors en route to the win. Heliot Ramos hit his second home run of the season, drove in two runs and made a diving catch in left field. Chapman belted his first homer of the year, totaled two RBIs of his own and made his first truly elite defensive play of the year, turning a 5-3 double play to end the eighth. Jung Hoo Lee and Willy Adames drove in a run apiece. The bullpen pitched 3 2/3 scoreless innings and Camilo Doval recorded his first save of the year as Ryan Walker deals with a bad back.

Through five innings, Robbie Ray was the one on pace for history.

Ray and Reds starter Nick Martinez opened the afternoon with four perfect innings each, trading zeros as the game progressed at a rapid pace. Martinez blinked first, allowing a solo home run to Ramos in the fifth. When the Giants tagged Martinez for three runs in the sixth on Jung Hoo Lee’s RBI double and Chapman’s two-run homer, his first of the year, the Giants looked positioned to cruise.

Until they weren’t.

Gavin Lux, the former Los Angeles Dodger, began the bottom of the sixth by breaking up Ray’s perfect game bid with a single. Two batters later, Austin Wynns, the former San Francisco catcher and now Reds’ nine-hole batter, sent a middle-middle slider into the left-field bleachers following a pitch clock violation, slicing the Giants’ lead in half. Matt McLain followed Wynns with a home run of his own, barely clearing the left-center field fence.

With two swings, San Francisco’s lead went from 4-0 to 4-3.

“I was frustrated. I didn’t think that it was a violation,” Ray said of the at-bat against Wynns. “I’m pretty sure I started before it got to zero. I’ll have to go back and look at it, but it definitely is frustrating because it messes up my pitch sequencing in that at-bat, and then I’m frustrated and leave a pitch up. But, we move on. We won. That’s a big team win right there, big series win to start the season.”

Pitching coach J.P. Martinez went out to the mound to try to compose Ray, but the left-hander proceeded to walk Santiago Espinal on four pitches. During the latter two pitches, the crowd at Great American Ball Park joined in unison to count down as the pitch clock approached zero, a callback to Ray’s violation before Wynn’s homer.

Manager Bob Melvin pulled Ray following the walk in favor of Erik Miller, who retired Cincinnati’s star shortstop Elly De La Cruz and put out the fire.

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The Giants added some much-needed insurance in the top of the eighth.

Fitzgerald reached base on an error by De La Cruz, then advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by LaMonte Wade Jr. Despite being in scoring position with the heart of the order coming up, Fitzgerald made the bold decision to steal third base. Fitzgerald was initially ruled out, but the Giants challenged and the call was overturned. Willy Adames drove in Fitzgerald with a sacrifice fly, his first RBI in a Giants uniform, stretching the lead to 5-3. Ramos provided more insurance later in the inning by driving in Lee with a single, giving San Francisco a 6-3 lead.

Tyler Rogers allowed two Reds to reach base in the bottom of the eighth, but escaped trouble thanks to baseball’s best defensive third baseman. With one out, Chapman fielded Espinal’s weak chopper, used his momentum to tag out Blake Dunn, then fired to first on the run for the inning-ending double play. Chapman said he tagged Dunn with the tip of his glove and planned to throw to first regardless, but he also heard the third-base umpire yell that Dunn was out of the baseline.

“You appreciate it, because he makes the tough ones look routine,” Ray said. “He’s special over there. It’s really fun to watch.”

Added Melvin: “Nobody else makes that play where you even have the presence to think about going to get to the runner, then on the run, make that play at first base. It felt like it was three runs.”

Why Dre Greenlaw left for Denver, despite the 49ers’ best efforts

Two weeks ago, as the hours ticked away on a decision that’d shape his NFL future, Dre Greenlaw’s adopted father, Brian Early, reminded him of the first time he brought him to a water park.

It was a year or two after the Earlys took in Greenlaw from a foster home in Fayetteville, Ark., and the young man was still getting used to the concept of structure. He was wild back then, as old high school coach Daryl Patton recalled. And on that summer day, the boy climbed up to ride the slides at White Water in Branson, Mo., screaming bloody murder as the current rushed him down.

The screaming wore him out. On the two-hour drive back home, Greenlaw conked out in the backseat. Early’s kids, Avery and Cameron, fell asleep on Greenlaw’s shoulders.

And Greenlaw, dozing happily, was wearing a Denver Broncos jersey.

“Do you remember that?” Early asked him about 12 years later.

“Dude,” grown-up Greenlaw responded, “I do remember that.”

Greenlaw had called Early for advice shortly after NFL free agency erupted in March, two situations in front of him. The 49ers wanted him to return after a standout six-year run at linebacker. General manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan, in fact, had flown to Greenlaw’s home in Texas to check in with him, multiple sources with knowledge of the situation told The Denver Post.

San Francisco, eventually, had outbid the Broncos, who’d honed in on Greenlaw to revamp the heart of their defense. But the 49ers’ brass only flew out — and their offer only increased — after the Broncos had already come after Greenlaw, sources said.

“That was, like, a last-ditch effort,” Early told The Post.

The Earlys adopted a kid, way back when, who was slow to trust, caught in a foster system that left him in a constant state of flux. That never quite changed. Greenlaw, Early said, has always been fiercely loyal to his teammates and those loyal to him, harboring deep bonds with Shanahan and fellow linebacker Fred Warner in San Francisco.

Future Broncos linebacker Dre Greenlaw, at 15 years old, sleeping on the way back from a family trip to White Water in Branson, Mo. (Photo provided by Brian Early)

But he was close, too, with 49ers-turned-Broncos Talanoa Hufanga and D.J. Jones. And as the 49ers parted ways with a slew of pieces in free agency, Greenlaw sensed an opportunity for a “fresh start” with a stacked defense in Denver, agent J.R. Carroll told The Post.

As Early reminded Greenlaw of that serendipitous day at the water park, torn between home in San Francisco and a future in Denver, the linebacker sent his adopted dad a picture of himself at 7 years old. His Little League team was the Broncos. And there Greenlaw was in the photo, even younger, wearing another Broncos jersey.

“He’s like, ‘Man,’” Early recalled, “‘I feel like it’s destiny.’”

•••

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Football always brought release. In the days before Greenlaw moved in, Early — then a defensive coordinator at Fayetteville High — regularly picked him up from the group home and took him to Sunday church with the family. Often, when they’d return to drop Greenlaw off, police cars surrounded the facility. Someone had stolen something. Everyone was put on lockdown.

He was hyper, high school coach Patton recalled. He buzzed, with no direction. Greenlaw found it, eventually, between the hashes. He was a different cat, as Warner put it, the 27-year-old Greenlaw long maturing but always the one at the heart of the storm in the 49ers’ pregame linebacker huddle. Slapping helmets. Chanting.

Twelve plays into Super Bowl XVII, in February 2024, Greenlaw was buzzing again. He hopped on the sidelines, once, twice, preparing to take the field in the second quarter against Kansas City. He skipped forward onto turf, one step with his right leg, landing awkwardly.

And he collapsed, holding his leg, in a moment Warner will never forget.

“That was such a traumatic experience for him,” Warner recalled to The Post, “and for everybody involved in the Super Bowl.”

San Francisco 49ers’ Dre Greenlaw (57) exits the field after suffering a torn tendon on his left leg in the second quarter of the Super Bowl against the Kansas City Chiefs in Las Vegas, Nev., on Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)

It was a torn Achilles tendon, a potential death knell for a young linebacker’s career. He played all of two games, and a total of 34 snaps, in 2024. Though a complete fluke, it was another strike on a rough bill of health: Greenlaw amassed back-to-back 120-tackle seasons in 2022 and 2023 but has played in just 51% of San Francisco’s possible games across the last four seasons.

Optically, then, a three-year, $31.5 million deal from the Broncos looks like a risk. But for a brief sliver in a Week 15 return against the Los Angeles Rams, before he was shut down amid a lost 49ers season, Greenlaw came out and looked like he “hadn’t lost a step,” Warner remembered. He racked up nine tackles in 30 snaps. He flew, again.

Free-agent suitors were curious, Greenlaw’s agent Carroll recalled, as to why he wasn’t doing offseason rehab. He’d already completed it. And the Broncos did “one of the most extensive medicals a team can do” on Greenlaw before signing him, Carroll asserted.

“In my opinion, he’s just getting started,” Warner told The Post. “He’s still so young in this game. And unfortunately for us (the Broncos) got him at the perfect time, man, where you can expect a lot of great things from him going forward in Denver.”

The odds were stacked firmly against him, back at Arkansas. Before Greenlaw’s freshman season, head coach Bret Bielema told Patton the Razorbacks would probably redshirt him. They didn’t. He had 95 tackles his freshman year.

The odds were stacked firmly against him, back in his first year in San Francisco. The 49ers had just signed linebacker Kwon Alexander to a four-year, $54 million contract. But Alexander endured a rash of injuries, and Greenlaw had 92 tackles his rookie year.

The odds were stacked firmly against him, since nights in that foster home in Fayetteville. The odds have never won, so far.

“You tell him he can’t do it,” Patton said, “you better put money on the opposite.”

•••

At some point, before Greenlaw put pen to paper with the Broncos, Warner called him to talk.

Selfishly, Warner admits, he wanted Greenlaw to stay in the Bay. They’d formed one of the best linebacker duos in the NFL since Greenlaw’s arrival in 2019, a natural complement to four-time All-Pro Warner. They both loved the hunt, Warner emphasized. And they were connected deeper than ball, Warner repeatedly referring to Greenlaw as a “brother of mine.”

“It just looked different when him and I were going after other teams from the second level, and just trying to erase space on the middle of the field,” Warner reminisced to The Post. “He’s, by far, one of the greatest athletes and football players I’ve ever played with, and it was truly an honor to play alongside him.

San Francisco 49ers’ Dre Greenlaw (57), Fred Warner (54) and Nick Bosa (97) tackle Seattle Seahawks’ Kenneth Walker III (9) in the first quarter at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., on Sunday, Dec. 10, 2023. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)

“I even told him, and I always say, that I would not be the player that I am today without playing alongside Dre Greenlaw.”

Still, Warner didn’t quite oversell Greenlaw on staying. He told him he wanted the best for him, and he had to make his own decision for him and his family — whatever that meant.

“We’ll always be brothers, man,” Warner said. “And I love him to death, and I know he’s going to ball out in Denver for sure.”

San Francisco was home. Greenlaw had spent six years there. Had spent six years with Warner, wreaking havoc.

But he wanted to be a captain, as Early said. And Early, the man who’d watched a wild 15-year-old boy grow into a self-assured man, encouraged Greenlaw to spread his wings.

“Hey, man, you stay in San Francisco, you’re Scottie Pippen,” Early recalled telling Greenlaw. “And Fred Warner is MJ.”

“Go be frickin’ MJ.”

Looking Back: Cesar Chavez, Jerry Brown sit in for farmworkers

Top 10 boys golf rankings

Top 10 boys golf rankings

1. Stevenson:

2. Palma:

3. Salinas:

4. Carmel:

5. San Lorenzo Valley:

6. Hollister:

7. York:

8. Santa Cruz:

9. Monte Vista:

10. Pacific Grove:

On the bubble: Aptos, Monterey, Alisal, Alvarez, Rancho San Juan.