Steamed over the ‘Fridge’

It began with the prospect of excitement, then was severely over-hyped and ended in disappointment for Chicago Bears’ fans.

This Sunday’s Super Bowl in Miami?

No, it was Saturday’s scheduled autograph session with William “the Refrigerator” Perry at a Costco in the Chicago suburb of Mount Prospect.

Fans who showed up with personal memorabilia to be signed were turned away, because there was a catch -- anything Perry signed had to be bought at Costco.

One disgruntled autograph seeker told CBS, “They wanted over $25 for the pictures, which is outrageous, and you know we drove a long distance here and we ended up getting nothing. I was outraged. Very disappointed in how they handled everything.”

And the concept of getting the Fridge to autograph a fridge was completely out of hand. A Whirlpool 20.8 cubic foot top-mount refrigerator goes for $599 at Costco.

The Big Angels

in the Sky

Tom Lasorda served as the master of ceremonies at the 82nd annual Assn. of Professional Ball Players of America banquet Saturday night in Long Beach.

Lasorda spotted Gerald Pickens, head of the Compton Baseball Academy Teams youth program, in the audience wearing an Angels jacket.

“I would appreciate it if the guy with the Angels jacket would get out of here,” Lasorda said. “The only Angels are ex-Dodgers and they’re all in heaven.”

Trivia time

Which Chicago Bears player was the most valuable player in the 1986 Super Bowl?

Inducted by acclamation

Former Raiders quarterback and coach Tom Flores was among the 19 initial inductees into the new California Sports Hall of Fame on Sunday night.

“I played for Al Davis, I was an assistant coach under John Madden and worked for Al Davis, I was the head coach for Al Davis and now as a broadcaster I still work for Al Davis,” Flores said at a banquet at the Anaheim Hilton.

“I think that tells you I belong in some kind of hall of fame.”

Spared the Deacon’s wrath

Deacon Jones, another California Sports Hall of Fame inductee, described his playing style: “I came to the Coliseum every Sunday trying to kill a mosquito with an ax.”

It was good, then, that Jones retired before former Kansas City Chiefs running back Christian Okoye entered the NFL. Okoye created the California Sports Hall of Fame and was lauded throughout the banquet as a wonderful guy.

Agreeing, the Deacon mused, “I’m so glad I didn’t have to put my helmet in his ribs.”

Trivia answer

Richard Dent.

And finally

Longtime baseball scout Harry Minor said at the baseball players’ banquet that he’d recommended Slim Fast to a friend when Lasorda was a spokesman for the dietary product.

According to Minor, his friend didn’t like the taste, so he would spruce it up with a few shots of Jack Daniel’s.

“He lost 15 pounds and his driver’s license,” Minor said.

mike.penner@latimes.com