Born in Stockton, California, and nicknamed "Snap", Dunlap's pro baseball career began in 1941 when he was signed at age 17 by the Cincinnati Reds. He threw and batted right-handed, stood 6 feet 2 inches (1.88 m) tall and weighed 180 pounds (82 kg). It would take Dunlap 12 years to reach the major leagues. After his second pro season, he served in the United States Marine Corps in the Pacific theatre of World War II. He enrolled at Occidental in the V-12 Navy College Training Program, played baseball for the Occidental Tigers in 1944, and gained his degree in 1946.
He then resumed his baseball career in the Cleveland Indians' organization in 1947. Dunlap played for seven different teams for the next six years, but had a breakout season in 1952 as a member of the Shreveport Sports of the Double-A Texas League. He hit .333 to become the Texas League's batting champion and helped lead the Sports to the league's playoff championship. That off-season, his contract was purchased by the Cardinals.
In his brief major league career during the opening months of the 1953 season, Dunlap served primarily as a pinch hitter, garnering six hits in 17 at bats (.353), including a triple and a home run, the latter hit off Cincinnati's Ken Raffensberger on May 10, with three runs batted in. He did play four innings of one game as a right fielder on July 17, but had no chances in the field. His professional career ended after the 1955 minor-league season.

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