The Arizona Diamondbacks announced Tuesday that they have hired former big league hurler Dan Haren as a pitching strategist for the club.Harens responsibilities will include working with Arizonas front office, coaching staff and analytics department, according to a release from the team.The hiring brings Haren back to the desert, where he enjoyed success with the D-backs from 2008-10. A right-hander, he went 37-26 with a 3.56 ERA in 87 starts for Arizona, earning All-Star selections in 2008 and 2009.An avid Twitter user, Haren jokingly added another job to the social media announcement of his new position.Haren, 36, played 13 seasons with eight teams, compiling a 153-131 record and 3.75 ERA in 391 games. He was a three-time All-Star and finished fifth in National League Cy Young Award voting in 2009.His last MLB appearance came in 2015 with the Chicago Cubs.-- Nick Ostiller Scott Mayfield Jersey . "Hes going to have hip surgery on Jan. 7, and hell be expected to rehabilitate for four to six months beyond that," Canucks general manager Mike Gillis said Friday in an interview. Bryan Trottier Islanders Jersey . "No difference at all," chirped U.S. roommate and linemate James van Riemsdyk. "Its still the same cranky Phil. http://www.islanderssale.com/authentic-tom-kuhnhackl-islanders-jersey/ . Detroit and Boston are deadlocked, 1-1, and Tigers manager Jim Leyland could be forgiven if he was caught rationalizing instead of dissecting how his club could blow a 5-1 lead late in Game 2. Josh Bailey Islanders Jersey . The recently retired Stern was elected Friday to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and will be enshrined with the class of 2014 on Aug. Adam Pelech Islanders Jersey . The Clippers were angry about blowing a big lead; the Kings didnt like being in that kind of hole and nearly digging themselves out only to lose. The Cairns Taipans have broken the Sydney Kings five-game unbeaten streak in the NBL with a 64-57 victory at the Snakepit.The win on Saturday night means the Snakes have a three-game winning streak of their own after starting the season with three losses.Cairns were rocked by the injury withdrawal of livewire American point guard Travis Trice the day before the clash, but a wily veteran and their remaining imports took up the slack.Old head Mark Worthington top-scored for the Snakes with 12 points, nine rebounds and four assists, while Fuquan Edwin continued his recent hot form with 11 points and back-up centre Nnanna Egwu contributed nine points and eight rebounds.It was a dire first quarter in Cairns, and was bucketless for almost three minutes as both teams blocked four shots between them.Cairns found their groove first. Breakout guard Damon Heuir backed up from his career-best game in round four to land a couple of well-taken shots to give the Snakes a 16-10 lead at the break.From there the Taipans would blow the score out to as much as 10 before the Kings reeled them back to one point with a long-range dagger from Jason Cadee to start the final quarter.The Kings had run riot over the Taipans after being in front by only two with three minutes to go in round two, but on their home turf the Taipans wouldnt be denied.Cairns utility Jarrod Weeks ran through almost the entire Sydney team to slam down a dunk in the final minute to end the Kings best start to an NBL season since 2006.Sydney guard Stteve Blake was a passenger for much of the contest in his second NBL game, with the former LA Laker finishing without a single point after 17 minutes of court time.ddddddddddddReigning NBL MVP Kevin Lisch was the Kings best, making five shots from the field for 15 points in his return from injury, while Josh Powell was strong in a key match-up against Nate Jawai, scoring 11 points.Jawai proved hes awoken from his sluggish early-season form, emerging from the clash with 10 points and three rebounds.The teams will meet again at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney on Monday night.Both teams had a poor night in attack, shooting at 33 per cent from the field, but Cairns coach Aaron Fearne was just relieved to get the win in his 250th match as a Taipans player or coach.Both teams didnt shoot the ball very well. We kind of couldnt get on a roll offensively and make enough shots in a row, but well take it, Fearne said.Kings counterpart Andrew Gaze was similarly displeased with his sides wayward shooting.It wasnt the most pretty of games. It was an arm wrestle, it was a slog and they did it better than we did, he said.With the teams to meet at Qudos Bank Arena, Gaze wont take any note of the Taipans poor historical form on the road.They have this us-against-them mentality and they do it very well here, but make no mistake they have a really, really good team and a great coach, he said. ' ' '