Description
Hans Lobert
Born: October 18, 1881 in Wilmington, Delaware
Died: September 14, 1968 (aged 86) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Bats: Right
Throws: Right
Height: 5’9″
Weight: 170 lbs.
Position: Third Baseman and Shortstop
Played For:
As player
Pittsburgh Pirates (1903)
Chicago Cubs (1905)
Cincinnati Reds (1906–1910)
Philadelphia Phillies (1911–1914)
New York Giants (1915–1917)
As manager
Philadelphia Phillies (1938, 1942)
As coach
Philadelphia Phillies (1934–1938, 1939–1941)
Cincinnati Reds (1943–1944)
Biography:
John Bernard “Hans” Lobert (October 18, 1881 – September 14, 1968) was an American third baseman, shortstop, coach, manager and scout in Major League Baseball.
Lobert was born in Wilmington, Delaware. He was the son of a cabinet maker. Lobert was one of 6 children including brothers Frank and Ollie who also became professional baseball players. The family eventually moved to Williamsport, Pennsylvania, and Lobert started playing for the Pittsburgh Athletic Club. He attended Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Pittsburgh Pirate’s owner, Barney Dreyfuss, invited Lobert to try out for his team in September 1903. He started his professional baseball career at the age of 21 on Sept 21, 1903. Like shortstop Honus Wagner, a teammate as well as neighbor of Lobert’s when he first came to the major leagues, the German-American Lobert earned the nickname “Hans” as a familiar form of Johannes, the German version of his given name, and was dubbed “Hans Number 2” by Honus Wagner. He would keep this name for the next 50 years. Lobert batted .274 for his career and played 14 seasons (1903, 1905–17) with five National League clubs, including regular stints as a third baseman for the Cincinnati Reds (1906–10) and Philadelphia Phillies (1911–14). He also played with the Pittsburgh Pirates (1903), Chicago Cubs(1905) and New York Giants (1915–17).
During his career, Lobert was known as one of the fastest players in the game. He once raced a racehorse around the bases before a game, an event that he recounted in The Glory of Their Times. On September 27, 1908, Lobert became the first Reds player to steal 2nd base, 3rd base, and home plate in the same inning.[1] At 26 years old, he was the top player almost every offensive category for the Reds and played all 155 games; he batted an average of .293, 570 at-bats, had 71 runs, 167 hits, 17 doubles, 18 triples, 4 home runs, had an RBI of 63, and 47 stolen bases, his new career high. The next season, the Reds would lead the national league in stolen bases with a total of 280; however, Lobert’s batting average suffered and went down to .212. In 1910, the Reds would continue their lead in the category with a new total of 310 stolen bases where Lobert would steal 41 bases and bat .309 while only playing 39 games because of a back injury. That same year, he was traded, along with 7 other players, to the Philadelphia Phillies. He would lead the Phillies with 40 stolen bases and had a batted .285 in 1911. The following year, Lobert only played 65 games due to another injury, but he was still able to increase his batting average to .327.
More info:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hans_Lobert
http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/l/loberha01.shtml
