Career
Although he spent much of his early minor league career as an outfielder and first baseman, he converted to pitcher in 1970 and appeared in seven games, all as a relief pitcher, that season for the Chicago Cubs of Major League Baseball. He threw and batted right-handed, stood 6 feet 1 inch (185 m) tall and weighed 205 pounds (93 kg). Dunegan was selected by Chicago in the second round of the 1967 Major League Baseball draft.
He hit a career-high 18 home runs in 1968 for the Class A Quincy Cubs of the Midwest League.
After appearing as a pitcher in 14 total games during 1967–1968, and none in 1969, he became a full-time hurler in 1970, splitting the year between the MLB Cubs and their two top farm system affiliates. In his debut as a pitcher, on May 30, he entered a game against the San Diego Padres with the Cubs trailing, 4–0, and worked four innings of one-run relief, enabling Chicago to climb back into a 4–4 tie.
But the Padres broke through for one run off Dunegan to take a 5–4 lead, eventually pinning Dunegan with the loss. He also lost his only other Major League decision, in June — and also against the Padres.
Altogether, he pitched in 13⅓ innings, allowed 13 hits and 12 bases on balls, with three strikeouts.
He left baseball after the 1972 season with a 16–19 pitching record, an earned run average of 4.44, a.246 batting average and 37 home runs as a minor leaguer.
