BERLIN (AP) - It’s been three weeks since Bryan Kirk and his crew took over the Berlin Brewmasters, and the new owner is getting down to business.

In an exclusive interview, Kirk told the Weaver Times that the next few weeks could be crucial to the teams future. "We’ve been here three weeks, and the team went 7-10. The All-star break comes at a good time for us, cause discussions are already starting with certain teams. There is no doubt that teams in a race for the playoffs would like some of our players, and we will listen. In a matter of weeks, the future of the Berlin Brewmasters will brighten up."

From very good sources, the Weaver Times has learned that Kirk will be shopping around the league to see if there’s interest in starting pitchers Pat Hengten and Kulenjin Qom. No doubt that age could be a factor here, since the Brew Crew has a few younger arms waiting to get a spot in the rotation. "No way are we gonna start doing trade business in the press" answered Kirk when this reporter tried to get a response to those rumors. "Yes, we are looking around. Anyone with just a bit of baseball knowledge can see that we don’t have any solid draft picks, that we have but one serious prospect, and that we need some young bats in the dugout."

The Brewmasters were very active in the past weeks, releasing older players Fruges Dax and Ray Babington, while signing alot of free agents to beef the roster of the AAA Cologne Cathedrals. "We were a team with almost no ressources. Sure, most of the guys we signed will never be regulars in Berlin, but they will help out our AAA team, and be some precious reserves in case of injuries. Once again, it’s just a question of common sense."

On a more negative note, Kirk plunged in a deep silence when the state of AA team Munich Knackwurst came into discussion. "It’s a real shame" said Kirk after long seconds of silence. "Rebuilding will be tougher than I expected" admitted the new Brewmasters owner, looking at a baseball card of pitching prospect Bob Reyes, the only solid prospect in the Brewmasters future.

Quick notes:

It may not be an unusual milestone, but 3B Auguste Rodin hit is 100th career homerun last week. A nice story for this Frenchman who left friends and family behind to pursue is baseball dream. "Oui... oui... oui..." were the only words we could get from Rodin, who then plunged in a bottle of Bordeau... In another note, 3B/SS King Arthur, who could retire at the end of the season, is only two homeruns away from #200. At 38, the veteran is in the middle of a good streak, since Bob Gilpin put him in the first batter slot, replacing injured CF Damon Buford. "It would be nice to end my career with over 200 homeruns. Heck, I might even stick around to try and reach 250 next year!"