ESPN MLB

NEW YORK -- Former Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell finally asked to interview active baseball players as part of his steroids investigation and is awaiting a reply from the players' association.

Union general counsel Michael Weiner said a March 28 letter making the request to speak with "a number of current and former players" was received Monday.

"We haven't responded yet," Weiner said in an e-mail Tuesday.

Mitchell was hired by commissioner Bud Selig on March 30 last year and he said last week that interviewing players would be one of the final phases of his probe. He said in January that his staff has been slowed by a lack of subpoena power and suggested Congress could become involved if he's stymied.

Mitchell's staff also has been negotiating with the union to obtain waivers that would allow his investigation access to medical records.

Union head Donald Fehr said players would make individual decisions on whether to cooperate with Mitchell and his staff. The Detroit Tigers' Gary Sheffield was quoted last month by USA Today as saying: "The association told us this is just a witch hunt. They don't want us to talk to them. This is all about getting [Barry Bonds]."

Mitchell said last week that he hopes and expects to complete the investigation "in the coming months."

Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press