John Thorn has been appointed Major League Baseball's official historian. Thorn has written "Treasures of the Baseball Hall of Fame" and worked on "Total Baseball." He has a book scheduled for publication on March 15 titled "Baseball in the Garden of Eden: The Secret History of the Early Game." Thorn's appointment was announced Tuesday. He takes over from Jerome Holtzman, who was official historian from 1999 until his death in 2008. "I have long admired John's work, his love for baseball and his dedication to the practice of history," commissioner Bud Selig said in a statement. "John will be an important resource to many of us at Major League Baseball, and I am excited that his valuable research will have this new platform in the years ahead."