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Old Town Plaque Dedication to . . .
Rita ‘Slats’ (Meyer) Moellering Dec. 7
Florissant ballplayer in “A League of Their Own”
Mayor Tim Lowery announced that Florissant, along with Old Town Partners, will host a plaque dedication in honor of the late Rita Ann Meyer Moellering. This will be the 43rd Walk through History plaque in honor of someone who has made valuable contributions and or an impact to the City of Florissant.
The plaque dedication will be held in front of 990 rue St. Francois on Saturday, Dec. 7 at 4:45 p.m. The ceremony will take place before the traditional tree lighting event that is held in front of City Hall.
Rita Ann Meyer Moellering, born in Florissant, was a shortstop and pitcher who played from 1946 through 1949 for the Peoria Redwings of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League.
Rita Meyer was the oldest of seven children. A good fielding shortstop and average hitter during her four seasons in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL), she was one of 13 players who made the AAGPBL clubs hailed from Missouri. She was scouted while playing softball for the old Weik reminded them of how Marion played. In 1946, Rita tried out for the league at spring training in Pascagoula, Mississippi, and was allocated to the Redwings expansion team based in Peoria, Ill. She appeared regularly as shortstop and also pitched in 13 games in 1947. Rita hurled a no-hitter in that season but lost the game, 1–0.
Her most productive season came in 1948, when she posted career-highs in batting average (.232), doubles (12), stolen bases (45) and runs batted in (68). The Redwings advanced to the first round of the playoffs for the first – and only – time in team history, but were swept by the Racine Belles in three straight games.
Rita Meyer married Robert Moellering in 1949. She became an active participant in public school sports for the rest of her life. On Nov. 5, 1988, she was honored with the rest of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League during the opening of a permanent display at the Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, New York. In addition, the St. Louis Sports Commission presents the Rita “Slats” Meyer Moellering Memorial Award, in honor of her, to recognize the accomplishments of women in individual sports. Her many hobbies included collecting emblems, poems, and Dick Tracy comic strips. She was an extra in the 1992 movie A League of Their Own, but sadly she passed away two weeks before the premiere of the film.
