EVANSTON, Ill. (WLS) — He’s probably the Chicago Cubs’ No. 1 fan. In fact, he’s probably more recognizable than many players. But Ronnie “Woo Woo” Wickers has yet to go to a game this season. He’s been at a nursing facility in Evanston.

His chant is a little softer, but the trademark enthusiasm is still there.

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Wickers has shared his famous chant with Cubs greats like Sammy Sosa and Ernie Banks. He’s been a Cubs fan since he was a little boy in the late 1950s.

Now 83, Wickers is just as enthusiastic about the Cubs as ever, even if he has to watch them on TV these days.

“I miss being out there, miss the fans, the people, the crack of the bat, the food,” Wickers said.

His room at The Pearl nursing facility in Evanston is fully decked out with Cubs paraphernalia: photos, logos, you name it.

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He’s suffering from pulmonary fibrosis. He’s gotten hundreds of get-well cards from fans.

He also gets lots of visitors. Wickers’ close friend, Janet Tabit, helped decorate the room.

“I want it to feel like home, a cheerful place where they’ll come back and visit him,” Tabit said.

But Wickers is planning a visit of his own to Wrigley Field early next month. The staff has been working to get him healthy enough for a field trip to the friendly confines.

“He’s an icon in Chicago. It’s been an amazing experience. The amount of mail he gets, the stories he tells us, it’s just been incredible,” The Pearl Administrator Mark Hocuk said.

He only played baseball through little league. Wickers says he developed his famous chant in elementary school, when a teacher told him to make the loudest sound he could. And the rest is history.

“I just have fun. God’s been good to me,” Wickers said.

Friends, family and staff at the nursing facility plan to join Wickers at the Cubs game on Sept. 7. But Wickers says he’s going back later in the season, as well, for the World Series.