Atlanta hosted three Republican vice-presidential prospects this week but you wouldn't know it unless you caught Tuesday's Braves game.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, Florida Gov. Charlie Crist and South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford — all mentioned as possible vice presidential hopefuls — were in town for a Republican Governors Association meeting.

JASON GETZ/AJC (ENLARGE)

Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue, left, throws the first pitch before Florida Gov. Charlie Crist, right, does the same thing before Tuesday's game between the Atlanta Braves and the Florida Marlins at Turner Field. Crist and several other GOP governors are in Atlanta attending a conference.

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Each has been noted as a potential running mate for GOP presidential nominee John McCain.

Crist and Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue threw out the first pitch at an Atlanta Braves game Tuesday. After that, , RGA staffers — including former Perdue aides — kept the governors away from the media and public, other than during a brief luncheon speech on energy policy by Pawlenty.

Pawlenty spoke of the need for American energy independence in an era when some oil-producing regions are unfriendly to United States policy.

While he didn't talk directly about the presidential race, Pawlenty said Republicans need to portray optimism about the country's future this campaign season.

"People want to see, particularly in times of trouble, leaders who have some sense of hope, some sense of positive direction and momentum," Pawlenty said to a crowd heavy with lobbyists and big-money Republican donors. "People don't want to buy into, or be part of, something that is negative and dour and dirt-kicking and skeptical.

"Part of the responsibility of leadership and opportunity of leadership is to project a positive, hopeful message for our party, for our state, for our country. That's why I think this debate we are going to have this fall is going to be good, healthy and robust."

After Pawlenty's speech, he went out a side door to avoid the media. Other governors had left by then.

RGA staffers said the camera-shy governors were on tight schedules and didn't have time to talk.