MANSFIELD, Mass. -- He's usually fighting calls made by umpires at Fenway Park, but on Tuesday, Red Sox Manager Terry Francona was raising awareness about infectious disease.

NewsCenter 5's Todd Kazakiewich said Francona spoke with some local students in Mansfield about the day he almost died.

"Literally two minutes later, they were cutting off my jeans. I was in the OR. I had a compartment bleed," Francona said.

Francona survived a serious staph infection that he contracted during knee surgery seven years ago in Philadelphia.

"I lived, fortunately. I lived through something very serious you don't have to go through if you just take some precautions," Francona said.

It took Francona four months to fully recover. His main message to the kids is one of awareness. He explained that staph infections are caused by bacteria that generally enter the body through cuts or wounds.

"Just to learn more about infection control, and really how to help prevent infection," Attleboro High School student Jena Rogers said.

Dr. JudyAnn Bigby, secretary of Health and Human Services, also attended the event to help answer questions.

"Good hygiene in all settings, including the locker room, is a very important thing," Bigby said.

Francona partnered with Covidien, a provider of healthcare products, to share his message with groups around the country in a campaign called Strike Out Infection. It's a message that he said echoes through Fenway Park.

"We have wipes in the weight room; we have disposable things that we have companies come and take out. We preach what we teach," Francona said.