RANDY HENDRICKS LEAVES SFX BASEBALL: TELLEM PROMOTED TO CEO

November 24, 2003
SportsBusiness Journal

By Liz Mullen

Agent Arn Tellem has been promoted to CEO of SFX Baseball, replacing Agent Randy Hendricks, who left the company with his brother, Agent Alan Hendricks, to form a boutique baseball player representation firm.

Tellem, formerly executive vice president of SFX Baseball, also will retain the title of CEO of SFX Basketball.

Randy and Alan Hendricks joined SFX Entertainment in 1999 when the company paid $15.7 million in cash to buy their business. According to Securities and Exchange Commission documents, under the deal, the brothers could have received up to an additional $5 million over the first five years after the buyout. SFX Sports Group issued a statement saying that the company and the Hendricks brothers "have amicably decided to part ways."

Randy Hendricks, in a statement, said: "After trying for some time to find a way to continue our relationship, we have cordially agreed to move in opposite directions. Alan and I look forward to going back to our roots and are gratified that SFX has agreed to let us re-establish Hendricks Sports Management, which we plan to run as a boutique baseball agency. Ours is a big industry and there is plenty of room for success for all."

Tellem said, in a statement, "I am excited to take on this new challenge as head of SFX Baseball. SFX Baseball has a tremendous team — of clients and Agents — and I see a bright future ahead of us."

Tellem, Alan and Randy Hendricks did not return calls for comment, and an SFX Sports spokeswoman declined to comment beyond the statements.

Sources said three young Agents who worked under the Hendrickses' supervision — Joe Sambito, Greg Landry and John Courtright — were staying at SFX.

Some longtime clients of the Hendrickses, including future Hall of Fame pitcher Roger Clemens, are moving to the new agency. Many newer clients, such as Chicago Cubs pitcher Kerry Wood, have relationships with the younger Agents and are staying with SFX.

There were 42 MLB players listed in June as having the Hendricks brothers, Landry or Sambito as their agents. Courtright was listed 35 times with a team of several other SFX Agents, including Pat Rooney and Fernando Cuza.