Dorman began his professional baseball career with the Tyler Trojans of the D-Class Lone Star League. With the Trojans, he had a batting average of .408, 39 home runs, and 20 stolen bases. He led the league in home runs, batting average, and doubles, and as a result the Cleveland Indians brought him onto their major league roster.[1] In his major league debut on August 21, he faced the 46-year-old Jack Quinn, and doubled in his first at-bat, drawing praise from Indians manager Roger Peckinpaugh.[2] He spent the last month of the season as the team's center fielder, and finished the year with a .363 batting average.[3]
In 1929, Dorman failed to make the team out of spring training, and was assigned to the New Orleans Pelicans of the Southern Association. On the season, he had a .301 batting average in 102 games for the Pelicans.[4] He joined the Indians in mid-September along with Zeke Bonura and Mike Powers, but none of the three played a game for Cleveland that season.[5]
In February 1930, Dorman's wife of 15 months died.[6] He spent the season with the Indianapolis Indians and the Kansas City Blues, playing in a combined 105 games for the two teams. In 1931, Dorman spent the season with the Terre Haute Tots, finishing the season with a .283 batting average. He suffered an accident in 1931, and after the season never again played professionally.[4][7]
