April 29, 2025 -- Lackawanna County Commissioners Bill Gaughan and Chris Chermak have hired Gary Ruby, who has 30 years of experience as a coach and front-office administrator in Major League Baseball, to be the county government’s liaison with the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders and the New York Yankees. The RailRiders, the Yankees’ AAA minor league affiliate, play at PNC Field, Moosic, which is owned by the Lackawanna County Multi-Purpose Stadium Authority.

Ruby, an Archbald resident, replaces Cory Spangenberg of South Abington Twp., a former Major League Baseball player who held the position for one year before resigning recently.

Part of the county Department of Community Relations, the liaison position is part-time, paying $26,000 a year. The liaison’s job is to maintain clear lines of communication among the county, the authority, the RailRiders and the Yankees, and to work on hospitality for county-related events.

Ruby has been an MLB or minor league pitching coach for the Cleveland Indians, Los Angeles Angeles, and Houston Astros, pitching coordinator for the Pittsburgh Pirates and Philadelphia Phillies, and senior pitching adviser for the Astros. He also was director of minor league personnel and instruction for the Phillies. Ruby coached extensively in the minor leagues and was the Texas League (AA) coach of the year in 2014 as pitching coach for Corpus Christi. Also, he coached extensively in winter leagues in the Dominican Republic and Venezuela.

Ruby holds a bachelor of science degree in health, physical education and recreation from the University of Tampa, and a master of science degree in secondary education from the University of Scranton.

“We’re thrilled that someone with such a depth of baseball experience will represent the county with the RailRiders and Yankees,” Commissioner Bill Gaughan said. “We’re incredibly fortunate to have him right here in our own back yard.”