, ALABAMA -- The

added another crown to their Southern League championship season Tuesday when Baseball America magazine announced that Mobile is its 2011 minor league team of the year.

Mobile is the first team to win the award twice. The BayBears also won the inaugural award in their second season, when they captured the 1998 Southern League title.

There are more than 160 minor league baseball teams in the United States.

"The Mobile BayBears notched several impressive achievements in 2011," Baseball America president and publisher Lee Folger said in a statement. "In addition to their Southern League championship and the best record in the league, the BayBears featured an amazing number of the (Arizona) Diamondbacks' top prospects, several of whom contributed to the major league team's NL West championship. We are pleased to recognize the Mobile BayBears."

The BayBears (84-54) were managed by Mobile native Turner Ward, who won the title in his first season.

"It's a prestigious award from Baseball America," BayBears president Bill Shanahan said. "You've got to give all the credit to the Arizona Diamondbacks for providing such a talented team of players, and to have a coaching staff of Turner Ward, Dan Carlson (pitching coach) and Alan Zinter (hitting coach). This is about what they did on the field. These guys are truly deserving. They went out and gave it all they had. Some of these guys are already in the majors, and we thank the Arizona Diamondbacks for providing such a quality group of prospects. It's pretty exciting."

Ward, the Southern League manager of the year, said he is pleased to see the BayBears gain national recognition.

"It seems to me from a corporate standpoint -- from the entire organization: scouting, international scouting, the development aspect, trainers, of course from a (general manager prospect), from a development perspective -- this is an organizational achievement," he said. "Knowing how many minor league clubs that are out there and to be recognized as Baseball America's No. 1 team, that's just a huge honor. It's a tribute to everybody in this organization."

Playing a role in such a season was special, Ward said.

"Just being a part of it, of course, is humbling," he said. "The guys are the ones who are out there playing. Those are the guys who are going out there and grinding it out every day. They're the ones who are going out there and shutting hitters down and the guys who are driving in the runs. It's something for those guys to be proud of. And from a coaching standpoint, to be able to be with these guys and watch them and watch them progress, that's what gives me the joy for what I'm doing."

An encore will be tough, Ward admitted, but that's the BayBears' goal in 2012.

"You set the bar really high coming in like this and having a team like this and all the accomplishments that happened," he said. "But to me that's what it's all about. You want to try and be the best. ... We've got a lot of good, young talent coming up through the organization, and it's just fun watching these guys develop.

"From the start of the season, our goal was to win a championship. ... it shows what the Diamondbacks' organization is about, and it's a great accolade for the city of Mobile and the Mobile BayBears."

Baseball America's story will be released Thursday on its website,

.