An outfielder, he played one full season and parts of two others for the Washington Senators / Minnesota Twins franchise of Major League Baseball; his only full major league campaign was in 1960, as a member of the last edition of the 1901–1960 Washington Senators franchise that moved to the Twin Cities for 1961.

His first professional season, with the 1956 Hobbs Sports of the Class B Southwestern League, was his finest: he batted .340 with 23 home runs in 129 games.

[1] After hitting 23 home runs in the Southern Association, he was recalled from the Double-A Chattanooga Lookouts in September 1959.

[2] He spent part of that season with the Twins' Triple-A Syracuse Chiefs affiliate, then was traded in a waiver deal to the Cincinnati Reds for catcher Jerry Zimmerman in January 1962.

Dobbek also played for the Elefantes de Cienfuegos of the Cuban Winter League and was a member of the 1960 Caribbean Series champion team.