Prices, like the players, are inflated

‘Tis the season for retailers to pull out all stops to boost sales during the holidays, and that goes for sports memorabilia stores as well.

Consider the offer made this week by online retailer Steiner Sports Memorabilia: Buy an autographed baseball on Wednesday night and, if that player’s name appeared in the Mitchell Report on steroid abuse in baseball, released Thursday, the buyer would get a $50 gift certificate.

It was called “The George Mitchell Special Offer!”

Except some fans apparently didn’t find it so special. Steiner Sports sent an e-mail to customers Thursday expressing “its sincerest apologies to those who were offended” by the promotion.

“The investigation into performance-enhancing drugs in Major League Baseball is a serious matter that we fully support,” the firm stated.

Mitchell’s report tied dozens of past and present players to the use of such drugs.

Steiner Sports also said its promotion expired but it would honor the discount “to those of you who chose to participate.”

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Trivia time

Mitchell is a former U.S. senator. What state did he represent?

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Second thoughts

In light of Mitchell’s report, the Texas High School Baseball Coaches Assn. might rescind its invitation to Roger Clemens to speak at the organization’s state convention.

The group’s president, Jim Long, told Bloomberg News that the association’s officers want to speak with the seven-time Cy Young Award winner before making a decision.

“This casts a dark cloud above him,” Long said. “But I don’t want to rush to judgment.”

Clemens, who denied the allegations against him in Mitchell’s report, played college baseball at the University of Texas.

According to the organization’s website, the title of Clemens’ planned speech is: “My Vigorous Workout, How I Played So Long.”

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Naming names

In the rush to scoop before Mitchell’s report was released, some media reports were wrong about which players would be included.

A report that originated with WNBC-TV in New York included St. Louis Cardinals slugger Albert Pujols. But his name does not appear in the report.

“I would like to express how upset and disappointed I am over the reckless reporting that took place,” Pujols said in a statement, adding that it “caused me and my family a lot of senseless aggravation.”

WNBC-TV later issued a statement on its website to “sincerely apologize for providing the incorrect information.”

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Love match

This should make for quite a trophy case in the living room.

Australian golfer Greg Norman and former tennis star Chris Evert announced their engagement Friday during the South African Open golf tournament, where Norman is playing.

Evert showed off her diamond engagement ring at a news conference, but said wedding plans had not yet been arranged.

Norman, 52, won the British Open in 1986 and 1993, and has 88 total professional wins worldwide, including 20 PGA Tour victories.

Evert, who turns 53 next week, won 18 Grand Slam singles titles in a pro career that spanned from 1972 to 1989, including three Wimbledon, six U.S. Open and seven French Open titles.

Their engagement came after both divorced longtime spouses in the past year.

Evert and Andy Mill, a former Olympic skier, divorced after 18 years of marriage. Evert earlier was married to tennis player John Lloyd.

In September, Norman finalized a multimillion-dollar divorce settlement with his wife of 25 years, Laura Andrassy.

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Grin and bear it

Phoenix Suns guard Steve Nash is nothing if not gritty.

After Nash had a front tooth chipped just before halftime against the Utah Jazz on Wednesday, an ESPN television reporter grabbed him for an interview as he headed toward the locker room.

“Oh my goodness,” the reporter said. “OK, get a close-up of his mouth. You just chipped a tooth.”

Nash -- the gap in his smile obvious and his tongue planted firmly in his cheek -- replied, “You want me on TV, after that, thanks a lot.”

He answered the first question normally but then his mind must have refocused on the tooth, because he adopted a lispy, cartoon-like voice to answer the second question.

Weird accent or not, he stuck with a sports cliche: “We’re going to pick it up in the second half.” They did, winning, 103-98.

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Trivia answer

Maine. Mitchell, a Democrat, also was the Senate majority leader from 1989 to 1995.

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And finally

How did headline writers at the tabloids handle the Mitchell Report?

A sampling: “Busted!” (New York Daily News), “Roid All About It!” (Philadelphia Daily News) and “Say It Ain’t So” (Newsday).

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james.peltz@latimes.com