[Whitfield:] All right, we've got a special documentary on Top Tonight, Got Shorty, Inside the Chase for El Chapo. You'll hear from the people who searched for and eventually captured the notorious drug lord. That's tonight at 8 only on CNN. All right, the baseball legend is calling it a career. New York Yankees star, Alex Rodriguez, better known as A-Rod announced this morning that his last game will be Friday.
[Alex Rodriguez, Retiring New York Yankees Player:] I love this game and I love this team. And today, I'm saying goodbye to both. This is also a proud day. I was 18 when I broke into the big leagues. I never thought I could play for 22 years. At 18, I just wanted to make a team. I want to thank the Steinbrenner Family for giving me this opportunity and for making me a part of this team.
[Whitfield:] All right, pretty powerful stuff there. CNNs Richard Roth is at Yankees Stadium. You can hear a pin drop or rather you can hear all the cameras, you know, and the shutter speeds there. But his last game is Friday, but then he is not going to be leaving the Yankees all together.
[Richard Roth, Cnn Correspondent:] That's right. Fredricka, this was a Yankees-encouraged retirement. Hank Hal Steinbrenner owner of the Yankees called A-Rod. A-Rod said let me think about that offer for 24 to 48 hours. The Yankees told Alex in effect after his failed performance on the field, let's think about a different way here. But the key has said also A-Rod is still getting $27 million plus. He is getting whatever he was owed in this humongous contract he signed years ago. There would have been difficulties if Alex said I want if he wasn't going to get the money. Alex was asked at this press conference about his career and his legacy, which certainly was filled with controversy.
[Rodriguez:] I do want to be remembered as someone who is, you know, madly in love with the game of baseball, someone who loves it at every level, someone who loves to learn teach it, watch it, play it, coach it. And I also I'm going to be hopefully remembered for someone who trip and fell a lot but someone who kept getting up.
[Roth:] Those stumbles certainly referring to his problems with performance-enhancing drugs, being suspended for an entire season in 2014. I asked Yankees fans their thoughts on A-Rod's departure.
[Unidentified Male:] Well, time is time. He's got to go. It's time to go. Why? Because he is 40 years old, he served his time. He is a Hall-of-Famer. It's time to go. It's about time he retires. He gave all he could to the team. While he was here, he was a tremendous player, but you know, this year you could see that he is not doing all that well, so.
[Roth:] He still was fourth home run short of the magic 700 number, Fredricka. And CNN Money reports that ticket sales have sky rocketed at 500% for A-Rod's potential last game...
[Whitfield:] Not bad.
[Roth:] ...on August 12th, that's Friday referred to here.
[Whitfield:] Yikes, well those fans are blunt, that's a blunt talk, isn't it? All right, Richard Roth, thank you very much outside Yankees Stadium. All right, I'm Fredricka Whitfield. Thank you so much for being with me today. Much more of the NEWSROOM straight ahead.
[Poppy Harlow, Cnn Anchor:] Top of the hour, I'm Poppy Harlow in New York. So glad you're with us this Sunday Evening. We begin tonight with politics and more polling in the race for the White House.