This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 10/30/2011
Offered is a very rare 1946-52 Los Angels Rams 1 1/4" pinback button with celluloid jointed football player. The pinback button itself is blue with yellow printed marquee style lettering. The celluloid cover is in excellent condition. The celluloid football player is painted with the Rams blue and gold colors. The figure is #3. The celluloid football player is in excellent condition with absolutely no cracking. Made in occupied Japan is factory molded into the back of the figurine, thus establishing the 1945-52 timeframe.
Historical Moments:
1945: After coach Buff Donelli joins the military GM Charlie Walsh names his brother Adam as the team's new coach. Bob Waterfield a QB drafted in 1944 joins the team and leads the Rams to their first Division Championship with a 9-1 record Waterfield would become the first player ever to win the NFL MVP by a unanimous vote. The highlight of the season came on Thanksgiving in Detroit when Jim Benton caught 10 passes for NFL record 303 yards in 28-21 win at Detroit over the Lions. On December on a frozen field at Cleveland Municipal Stadium the Rams defeated the Washington Redskins 15-14 to win their first NFL Championship. However the joy for Cleveland fans would be short lived as the Rams got approval to move to Los Angles less the a month later. Final year in Cleveland before moving West. Additional photograph shows the 1945 team before moving west.
1946: With the arrival of the defending NFL Champion Rams, Los Angeles finally had a major professional team. The new Los Angeles Rams proved to be ahead of their time right away as they signed halfback Kenny Washington, and WR Woody Strode. The two became the first black players to play in the NFL since the NFL instituted a ban on black players in 1932. On September 29th the city of Los Angeles hosted its first game at the historic Los Angels Memorial Coliseum, which hosted the 1932 Olympics. In the first official NFL game at the Coliseum the Rams were defeated by the Philadelphia Eagles 25-14. After a win and a tie oh the road, the Rams got their first LA win on October 20th against the Detroit Lions. However the Rams would lose 3 of their next 5, as hopes for a repeat NFL Championship faded. The Rams would close their first season in Los Angeles with a 6-4-1 record.
1947: Owner Dan F. Reeves assumes GM duties after Charlie Walsh reigns. He would name Bob Snyder to replace Adam Walsh who also resigned. Under coach Snyder the Rams would be hobbled by injuries all season finishing with a 6-6 record.
1948: The Rams enter the season with a new coach and a new look. The new look comes courtesy of HB Fred Gehrke, an industrial design artist in the off-season. Gehrke had designed yellow horns on the side of the helmet making the Rams the first NFL team to have a team insignia or logo on their helmet; by 1960 all teams with the exception of 1 would have it. The new look Rams were led on to the field by Charles Shaughnessy when Bb Snyder resigned 19 days before the start of the season. After winning and tie their first 2 games the Rams struggled mightily losing 4 of 5. However the Rams would finish strongly by winning 4 of 5 to post a 6-5-1 record.
1949: The Rams get off to a flying start winning their first 6 games. The winning streak was capped by a 27-24 victory over the Chicago Bears before a Rams record crowd of 86,080 in Los Angles Memorial Coliseum. The Rams would hold on to the Western Division Championship by going 2-2-2 over their final 6 games. In the NFL Championship Game played at the Coliseum heavy rain and a sloppy field combine to slow down the Rams offense as teh Philadelphia Eagles win the NFL Championship with a 14-0 win.
1950: Under new coach Joe Stydahar the Rams set 22 offensive records rolling to a 9-3 record, which was good enough to earn them a first place tie with Chicago Bears for the Western Division Championship. A high flying passing game with star recievers Tom Fears, and Elroy "Crazy Legs" Hirsch keyed the Rams offensive power. The Rams failed to score 30 in only 4 of their 12 games that included a 70 point and 65 point performance in consecutive weeks. In the Division Championship the Rams got revenge for 2 earlier losses by beating the Bears 24-14 to advance to the NFL Championship Game. In the Championship Game the Rams returned to Cleveland to face the Browns. The Rams and Browns would battle back and forth all game before Lou Groza's late field goal gave the Browns a 30-28 win.
1951: Norm Van Brocklin assumes duties at QB as the Rams offense continues to be the best in the NFL. The Rams would break the 40-point mark 6 times while compiling a 9-3 win for the Western Division Championship. In the NFL Championship Game the Rams earned a rematch with the Cleveland Browns, with the game being played in the Coliseum. The game was tied at 17 until Van Brocklin hit Tom Fears with a 73-yard bomb to give the Rams a 24-17 win, and the city of Los Angeles its first Major Sports Championship.
1952: After a 37-7 season opening loss in Cleveland to the Browns, coach Joe Stydahar suddenly reigned; he would be replaced by Hampton Pool. Under Pool the Rams lose 2 of 3 getting uses to a new system. However, once the Rams got acclimated to their coach they would begin to fire on all cylinders winning their final 8 to earn a tie for the Division title with Detroit Lions. However the Rams season would end with a 31-21 loss to the Detroit Lions in the Division Playoff game.
Made in occupied Japan is factory molded into the back of the figurine, thus establishing the 1945-52 time frame of the back marking, and helping us determine the actual years of issuance, 1946-52.