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. 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 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 continued 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 lead the Phillies with 40 stolen bases and 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.