Hinsdale Central grad 'will never forget' baseball experience in Cuba

As a broadcasting coordinator for the Tampa Bay Rays, Kabialis, a Hinsdale Central graduate, attended the Rays' exhibition game against the Cuban national team in Havana on March 22. The baseball game was scheduled to coincide with President Barack Obama's visit to the island nation, and Obama watched alongside Cuban President Raul Castro.

Kabialis was there to facilitate the radio broadcast of the event, which marked the first time a Major League Baseball team had played in Cuba since 1999.

"It's hard to absorb the magnitude of what's going on when you have to do a job," Kabialis said. "I guess 'surreal' is the word: to be in Cuba in a hotel when the President is (in the country). We're watching Air Force One touch down in Cuba for the first time."