Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-08-04
Hans Lobert Is a Mighty Fast
Runner, but This Time Loses


Hans Lobert, the third baseman Of
team, is rated as a mighty fast run
ner. In fact Loberts teammates say
he is the fastest player on the bases
in the game today. The August
American Magazine tells story how
Hans, on the recent world baseball
tour, matched his speed with that %
a COW horse at Oxnard, Cal.
The feat Is remarkable, because IT,
Is the only one of its kind that has
ever taken place. 1t was performed
by Lobert, between the eighth and
ninth innings of the game The ques-
ton arose as TO whether cattle
horse, trained to rapid turns, could
beat a base runner around the dia-
mond, and Immediately 1t was pro-
posed to test the matter. The fast
est cattle-horse In Ventura County
happened to be owned in Oxnard.
and against tais wonderful animal.
which had record of "a seconds to
the quarter mile, Lobert agreed to
race.
Interest in the event was intense,
as a large portion of the residents of
Oxnard are cattlemen. An enormous
crowd filed the stands (the game was
a close contest, the score 2 TO ! at
the beginning of the ninth inning)
and, despite their great desire to
witness the end of the baseball con-
test, the spectators were completely
absorbed in the remarkable race be-
tween man and horse.
Lobert, smiling and confident, adj
vanced to the plate The horse was
ridden by a Mexican vaquero. After
discussing their line of progress
Lobert and the rider moved to the
scratch. Umpire KLEIN gave the word
30" and both horse and man were
off in a flash. Lobert got into his
stride quicker than the horse, round
ing first we'll in the lead. At second
he was still q yard ahead and
heightened his lead on the turn to
about Twenty-Five feet. When the
spectators saw this great athlete
actually leading the flying horse to
third base they rose en- masse and
their cheers could be heard for miles.
1t was thrilling moment and ono
never to be forgotten. Hans reached
third first but only by shade
wheeling like a thunderbolt. the
horse, forced TO his utmost, came
abreast OF Lobert and flashed past
him about two yards from the plate,
winner by half a length, in IL seconds
tLobert's record time for the dis
time of the horse at 10 seconds, but
Lobert said he was certain he did
not run the distance faster than his
record, and as the horse only beat
him by about half length 1t is safe
to say IA seconds 10 the correct time
for the race.
The cowboys present were elated at
the victory of the horse, but at the
same time were generous In their
shouts of applause to Lobert, whose
wonderful effort will be remembered
as one of the historical events of
| Ventura County. John said 1t was
| ticklish sensation to hear a horse
| Numbering at your heels; and at sec
ond base he turned his head to see If
the horse was dangerously near. This
threw him slightly out of his stride
and probably, had 1t not done so, he
would have won the race However,
he says he will never try again, as
| 1t Is too risky a proposition for man
whose profession is baseball There
would be small profit in sustaining
an injury which might easily occur In
such an event.