Cubs 365, February 19

Every day in 2012, the Just One Bad Century blog will feature a story about this day in Cubs history. We're calling it Cubs 365.

On this day in 1987, Harry Caray was playing cards at a country club near his winter home in Palm Springs, California when he suddenly collapsed. He had suffered a serious stroke, and the doctors told him he would take months to recover. While the old broadcaster itched to return, his voice just wasn’t quite there. So, the Cubs brought in celebrity guest announcers to take his place alongside Steve Stone in the Cubs broadcast booth.

Among the people who took a turn in Harry’s place: George Wendt, Jim Belushi, Dan Ackroyd, Bob Costas, Ernie Harwell, Dick Enberg, Pat Summerall, Bryant Gumbel, Gary Bender, Jack Buck, Ernie Banks, Mike Royko, George Will, Bob Sirott, and even Stan Musial.

But without question, the most memorable fill in for Harry was Bill Murray.

People still talk about the way Murray took over that broadcast and provided the one ingredient that only Harry had been able to contribute before that: Fun.

Harry returned exactly three months after his stroke, on May 19, 1987. During that game he received a phone call from the most famous Cubs fan in the land; President Ronald Reagan.