How the Dinosaur Dodgers continue to find the fountain of youth

MILWAUKEE –– Dave Roberts delivered the speech.Teoscar Hernández supplied the punch line.In the wake of their National League Division Series defeat of the Atlanta Braves last week, the Dodgers gathered around their manager at the start of a champagne celebration in Truist Park’s visiting clubhouse.First, Roberts extolled their culture and competitiveness.

He then declared that “we’re smarter, we’re better and we’re tougher” than their postseason competition.That’s when, from the corner of the room, Hernández chimed in with one more observation.“And we’re dinosaurs!” he shouted.Cretaceous creatures, who have once again found the fountain of October youth.Throughout the regular season and leading into the playoffs, the Dodgers’ aging roster loomed as their biggest area of concern.Their average lineup age of 30.9 years old, according to Baseball Reference, was the oldest in the majors.

Their grizzled veteran core has played more games (and traveled more miles, including two season-opening Asia trips) than any other club in baseball the past two years.California Post News: Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X, YouTube, WhatsApp, LinkedInCalifornia Post Sports Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, XCalifornia Post Opinion California Post Newsletters: Sign up here!California Post App: Download here!Home delivery: Sign up here!Page Six Hollywood: Sign up here!That’s why the team could help but notice the recent “dinosaur” comment made by new Padres owner José E.Feliciano –– even if he was trying to refer to the actual collection of fossils kept by Dodgers owner Mark Walter.To the two-time defending champions, it still qualified as a perceived slight.“We’ve heard it,” 36-year-old third baseman Max Muncy said.

“But you can’t focus on the outside stuff for us.Indeed, the Dodgers do not need any extra motivation this postseason, as they continue their quest for a third-straight World Series title in the NL Championship Series aga...