Jun 12, 2013 03:29 PM EDT By Russell Westerholm, UniversityHerald Reporter

The court of public opinion has been unforgiving to Alex Rodriguez, but he now seems to have at least one person in his corner.

Former University of Miami pitching coach Lazaro Collazo said he does not know why Major League Baseball is trying so hard to tear down the former Hurricane, according to the New York Daily News.

"I've known Alex since he was 9 years old," Collazo said. "He has talked to the kids in my camps and he always talks about the importance of respect and education. He has been nothing but class with the kids around here and this community."

Collazo's lawyer S. Antonio Jimenez said the MLB was bullying his client into giving up incriminating information on the Yankees' third baseman. Collazo could very well be a witness in a lawsuit filed by MLB against Anthony Bosch and his obsolete Biogenesis clinic.

"This lawsuit is an artifice for Major League Baseball to conduct an investigation," Jimenez said. "It is a waste of judicial resources and it should never have been filed."

MLB took interest in Collazo because he knew professional ballplayers like Yasmani Grandal, Cesar Carillo, Ryan Braun and Rodriguez, who all played for the University of Miami. Carillo, Grandal and Braun all received 50-game drug suspensions, although Braun's was reversed.

In a motion filed on May 28, Jimenez said MLB investigators coerced, harassed, intimidated and embarrassed Collazo in front of his wife and children.

Jimenez filed on the grounds that Collazo was never employed by Bosch and never received payment of any kind from Bosch or from his Biogenesis clinic Collazo did admit to being a client.

"During the meeting, both investigators attempted to harass and coerce Collazo into providing the names of MLBPA members who may have received treatment with defendants," Jimenez argued in the motion.

Patrick Courtney, a spokesman for the MLB, denied the allegations.

"They did not harass him," he said. "They did not do what they are accused of doing."

Collazo was supposed to make a deposition with MLB lawyers on May 29, but the deposition was delayed until August.

Bosch is currently cooperating with MLB reportedly to give up names of players who used performance enhancing drugs and what those drugs were.

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