Since Jose Canseco and Ken Caminiti made their statements about steroid use in baseball, major-league players are asked about it everyday. Steroids are brought up in every interview. Reporters want to know if they or their teammates are using steroids and how they feel about testing.

The players are getting tired of the questions. Sammy Sosa told Chicago reporters Monday the accusations about him are wrong and hurtful. He pointed to his offseason workout regimen and how his body has not broken down like those who apparently take drugs. He has missed only 12 games in the last five seasons.

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"I play everyday," said Sosa, who also indicated he would be "the first one in line" for steroid testing.

But if the players want the questions to stop, the Players Association must decide on a solution, not the owners.

"Trust" is an important word as it relates to both steroids and the collective bargaining agreement because the two go hand in hand. Trust is a big reason why Major League Baseball has no drug testing. The players do not trust the owners to do the right thing. If a player is underperforming, the association has believed the owners could use drug testing to get out of his longterm contract.

The owners, however, are neither accused of using steroids nor accusing the players of taking them. Players are making statements about players. Even Curt Schilling has talked about the rampant use of steroids in today's game.

The burden of proof is on the players and the union heads. The union has been conspicuously quiet so far, probably because the union leaders -- like all of us -- have no idea how many players are using steroids.

The association seems to have an answer every time the owners say something about contraction or other sensitive issues. Now the players need an answer to regain the public's trust if they want to be held in the same high esteem as former great players, who were judged solely on their performance.

No matter what solution the union has, whether it is random drug testing or some other method, there must be a grace period. If testing were implemented, baseball cannot start immediately suspending players.

Make no mistake -- I am not saying random drug testing is the answer. But the association must find a way to either prove or disprove steroid use among ballplayers. The association can't just rely on players to step forward to say, "I don't use steroids."

I don't believe the percentage of steroid users in baseball is nearly as high as Canseco and Caminiti have said. People can say what they want to say, but do we have any proof? I have never seen evidence of steroid use or heard one player accuse another.

I am not putting my head in the sand and saying no players use steroids. But without proof, there is nothing to substantiate whether 85 percent, 50 percent, 10 percent or one percent of major-league players are on steroids. All we have are words.

For example, we thought Gaylord Perry was throwing a spitball for years. But before he was caught in 1982, his 21st season, how could he be punished just because someone said he threw a spitter? There had been no incriminating evidence.

On a radio show recently, Bob Costas said he felt the explosion of power since the 1994 strike has been partly attributed to steroid use. He had aired the same opinion at least once before. When Bob and I were broadcasting the 2000 All-Star Game in Atlanta, he said that both the balls and the players were juiced.

The problem is, how does one know who is juiced? I have always maintained that poorer pitching, smaller ballparks and livelier balls have contributed to the increase in home runs. I cannot consider steroids a contributor without proof.

In the meantime, everyone will continue to chime in on steroids in baseball. It's unfair for the players to be asked everyday to defend themselves and their peers when questions arise about steroids.

The union has an obligation to appeal to the public's interest and end the steroid speculation, whether the association chooses random testing or another means. Hopefully, then the questions will be more about the game on the field, not the unresolved issues off it.

Hall of Fame second baseman Joe Morgan is a baseball analyst for ESPN and contributes a weekly column for ESPN.com.