Dunlap was known during his baseball career by the nicknames "Sure Shot" and "King of Second Basemen". Most accounts indicate that the "Sure Shot" nickname arose from Dunlap's powerful and accurate throws to first base. King Kelly reportedly gave Dunlap the "Sure Shot" nickname after watching him throw. One account described Dunlap's throwing prowess as follows: "ndless practice made him adept as a monkey at grabbing a sizzling ground ball in either hand and firing it off from the very spot he seized it. His whistling throws, which seemed to clear the grass by no more than half a foot, never seemed to lose more than an inch or two."