Dodgers’ Web musings: Show me the money -- Angels offer contrast heading into offseason

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OK, it’s a continuing theme, albeit a two-day theme.

Yet it bears repeating, unfortunately. Two Los Angeles-area baseball teams, both suffering a disappointing season and now heading into the offseason from opposite directions.

The Angels have a mandate to return to their winning ways. Owner Arte Moreno told The Times’ Bill Plaschke he was angry over the team’s play and would spend what it takes to return his team to the postseason.

‘If you want to continue to perform at the highest level, you have to keep building the business,’ Moreno said. ‘And that’s what I intend to do.’

What a concept. A team with commitment. A team with a plan.

This was in stark contrast to a story the previous day in The Times from T.J. Simers, chronicling how uncertain things are with the Dodgers’ offseason plans.

I almost felt sorry for Ned Colletti as Simers asked him about his ability to spend in the offseason, and the general manager was forced into a lot of I-don’t-know-yet responses about the Dodgers’ financial resources.

One team is immediately letting it be known it will do whatever it takes to return to the top. The other is still foundering.

‘We know where our weaknesses are, we know where we are thin, we know where we have to go to market,’ Moreno said. ‘It’s going to cost money, but our fans need to know what we’re committed to winning.’

Also out there on the Web:

-- ESPN.com’s Jayson Stark‘s always entertaining season review has Dodger John Lindsey in the Debut of the Year. After waiting 16 years in the minors, Lindsey never actually played in his first official game.

-- The New York Times’ Dave Anderson talks to pitcher Carl Erskine on the 55th anniversary of the Brooklyn Dodgers finally beating the Yankees for their first World Series title.

-- SportsIllustrated.com’s Jon Heyman has a list of the 38 potential new managers to be hired his offseason and at No.1 is Joe Torre. Checking in at No. 26 is Tim Wallach, who Heyman said reportedly turned down an opportunity to interview in Toronto.

-- Congratulations to Kirk Gibson signing for two years with the Diamondbacks. Should be fun. Gibson told the Arizona Republic’s Nick Piecoro he wants the team to improve in a variety of areas, from picking off opposing base-runners to deking defenders, and somehow transitioned into wanting his pitchers to be able to show bunt before pulling back to slash.

‘If Todd Helton wants to come charging in there, he better be ready to hit the deck,’ Gibson said. ‘That’s what I’m talking about.’

-- Daily News columnist Tom Hoffarth has served Frank and Jamie McCourt with a class-action divorce from the fans, demanding full custody of the Dodgers. Good stuff.

-- ESPN/LA.com’s Jon Weisman has teamed up with his staff’s creative people to offer a series of online postseason Dodgers baseball cards.

-- According to MLBtraderumors.com, the Dodgers will have the 16th pick in the June draft, one spot ahead of the Angels. Got ’em there!

-- The Riverside Press-Enterprise’s David Lassen warns that retooling the Dodgers will be a serious challenge, with Colletti saying there won’t be major roster revisions.

-- SportsIllustrated.com’s Joe Posnanski offers a terrific look at Vin Scully. Really well done.

-- Steve Dilbeck