WRIGLEYVILLE — Cesario Moya rolled into Wrigley Field on Monday, surrounded by his family, and received a hero’s welcome.

Sitting in a wheelchair, the 72-year-old wore a green baseball jersey with “Xicago” stitched at the top and emblazoned with the number 23: the number that marks Moya’s birthdate this month, the number that has graced millions of Michael Jordan jerseys and the number of Cubs Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg, who died last month of metastatic prostate cancer. 

Like Sandberg, Moya has been a fixture at Wrigley. It is the spot he and his family call a second home. They have cemented their patriarch’s place there with a brick not far from the Harry Caray statue on the northeast side of the stadium.

And like Sandberg, Moya faces terminal cancer. On Monday night, his family greeted him outside Wrigley Field like an all-star athlete for what was slated to be Moya’s last visit to the ballpark.

Earlier this month, two of Moya’s granddaughters, Ruby Moya and Kayla Denise Moya, shared his story on TikTok. The video went viral, receiving a deluge of responses from baseball fans and even from Cubs outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong, infielder Justin Turner and pitcher Justin Steele. The Cubs organization extended an invitation to a home game. The players wanted to meet Moya, too.

So the Moya family went to Wrigley Field on Monday to catch the second game of a doubleheader against the Brewers. Monday night’s inclement weather meant Moya had a smaller, quieter celebration.

As heavy rains drenched poncho-clad fans walking down Waveland Avenue, the organization called off that night’s game. But neither rain nor illness could take away Moya’s devotion to his team.

Cubs staff presented Moya with a light blue jersey with the name “C. MOYA” on the back. A cadre of children and grandchildren hoisted a Cubs banner behind them that read “The Moya Family.” His youngest grandson of many, 5-year-old Charlie, climbed on his lap — eyeing a new white ballcap — while the second-youngest, Benny, 7, looked on.

Cesario Moya, seated at center, poses with his family at Wrigley Field on Monday, Aug. 18, 2025. Credit: Audrey Richardson for Block Club Chicago

Moya’s love for the Cubs began in his native Mexico, where he managed to get the signal for WGN. When he moved to the United States in the ’70s, he learned English by watching Cubs games. His first English words were the numbers of bases and players, Caray catchphrases and commentators’ names. Sometimes, he even tried to mimic Caray himself, saying “Holy Cow!” and “It might be … it is! A home run!”

“I’m still learning,” he joked Monday.

The similarities with Caray don’t stop there. Moya’s son, AJ Moya, recalled another foul-weather game with his father, when a tornado warning forced everyone at the stadium into the concourse. AJ Moya, then 16, had just bought a new pair of Jordans and had to tuck them into his shirt before running 12 blocks to their car in his socks. But his father didn’t make the long trek through the rain without getting a refreshment first.

“My dad, just like Harry Caray, a Bud man, he bought a Budweiser as we were all packed into that concourse,” AJ Moya said. “Because he ain’t going out like that. He needs a Bud before.”

After being asked about his first memory of watching the Cubs, Moya searched his mind for a second, sifting through memories.

“King Kong,” he replied, referring to the Cubs’ legendary Dave Kingman, who once hit a ball 530 feet across Wrigley and struck a house on Waveland. “When he touched the ball, the ball is gone.”

Cesario Moya, right, a lifelong Chicago Cubs fan, clutches his custom jersey at Wrigley Field on Monday, Aug. 18, 2025. Credit: Audrey Richardson for Block Club Chicago

Cesario Moya, a lifelong Chicago Cubs fan, receives a custom jersey at Wrigley Field on Monday, Aug. 18, 2025. Credit: Audrey Richardson for Block Club Chicago

At home, Moya’s family said his closet is dominated by Cubs polo shirts. The only clothes he wears besides Cubs gear are shirts from his grandchildren’s colleges.

“Everywhere I go, I wear a Cubs T-shirt,” Moya said. “After a little while, everybody goes, ‘Hey! Mr. Cub!”

Moya had been looking forward to the game with his family. On Sunday, when the Moyas were originally scheduled to arrive, Ruby Moya said he was up at 8 a.m. wearing his Cubs gear, ready to go. When they asked him what he wanted for dinner that night, he told his granddaughter, “A sausage. With lots of peppers and onions. From Wrigley.”

Still, Moya could not help but choke up when he thought about watching the Cubs throughout his cancer treatment.

“Well, I think I want to see them one more time,” he said, holding back tears.

RELATED: Cubs Players Invite Lifelong Fan With Terminal Cancer To Wrigley After Granddaughters’ Viral Video

Moya remained in good spirits Monday night, making jokes about the Cubs and laughing softly. His family said he’s not normally soft spoken. Instead, it’s likely one of the side effects that comes with slower cognition. For 18 hours a day, he wears an Optune cap, a device that’s used to treat brain cancer. 

“It’s been really hard, tough. He doesn’t really understand that … there’s no cure,” said his daughter, Yesenia Moya. “He doesn’t understand that it’s just treatments and the Optune is just prolonging his life.”

The Moya family walks outside Wrigley Field after a reception for patriarch Casario Moya, a lifelong Cubs fan battling a terminal illness. Credit: Audrey Richardson for Block Club Chicago

Cesario Moya, center, a lifelong Chicago Cubs fan, with two of his grandsons while being celebrated by the Cubs at Wrigley Field on Monday, Aug. 18, 2025. Credit: Audrey Richardson for Block Club Chicago

Moya’s still going through chemotherapy, which saps his energy, and he does dialysis three times a week. For that reason, he doesn’t catch night games as often as he used to, but once in a while he’ll stay up to 8:30 p.m. or even to the end, Ruby Moya said.

“He’s our little warrior going through all this,” Yesenia Moya said. “I know he’s in pain, but he won’t, he won’t tell us.”

Watching the Cubs won’t be the same without their patriarch, Moya’s family said. They will miss walking into his house, seeing him in his lounge chair, watching his favorite team. They are comforted, though, by the belief that he’ll still watch the Cubs.

“But he’ll be watching it with Ryne” Sandberg, Ruby said.

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