He’s a 39-year-old former college football player who became a Marine and later a cop.
She’s a 63-year-old restaurateur with a knack for solving problems.
Together (and with help from her accountant husband), they form an unlikely partnership helping Cuban athletes defect to the United States to pursue their dreams.
Sports Illustrated went behind the scenes with Billy Henderson and Jo Hastings last year to chronicle how the pair enabled baseball prospect César Prieto’s daring escape to freedom in 2021. The chase for professional success can be unpredictable, as it is uncertain how much MLB teams are willing to pay for the prospects’ services. We’re essentially talking about human lottery tickets, after all. Some pay off. Others don’t.
SI’s Greg Bishop takes readers along for the twisting, turning ride as Henderson and Hastings procure Prieto’s escape while the Cuban national team is in South Florida for a competition. Along the way, Bishop tells the backstory of how Hastings hired a young Henderson at her restaurant many years ago, winning his loyalty and gaining a family member.
But don’t just take our word for it, enjoy the full article, which features video of the moment Prieto fled to freedom in a mad dash and improvised getaway.
