FARGO - There are weeks when Ed Baker has probably had his integrity assailed and pedigree questioned more times than most of us do in a lifetime.

Yet he's gone back for more of the same, week after week and year after year. It goes with the territory when you're a basketball referee.

But no more.

With almost four decades of sports officiating in the books, the lifelong Minot resident has called it quits.

Baker, 62, sped off the floor of the Fargodome's north court into the history books as the horn commanded an end to Mandan's 57-46 victory over West Fargo in the state Class A boys basketball title game Saturday night. It was his 13th and last state boys basketball tournament.

Since he called his first game in 1969, Baker has seen a lot of basketball history come in go. The game has moved from Chuck Taylor All-Stars to the 3-point basket, three-man officiating crews and the shot clock.

Looking back on multiplied hundreds of basketball, football, baseball and softball games he has officiated, Baker said he doesn't regret a minute of it. He said he'd do it all again. "Definitely, In a heartbeat," he said. "When you're done playing and coaching it's something you can give back to the game."

He has seen sports from all angles - player, coach, fan and official. For awhile he was all four, coaching basketball and football at the junior high level and as a high school assistant, playing amateur basketball and officiating virtually 12 months a year.

Something had to go when he got married in 1982, so he recaptured his summers by giving up umpiring. He closed out a 19-year career of football officiating last fall and put the finishing touches on 39 years as a basketball referee last week.

Coaching went by the wayside in the mid-1970s. "I guess I had too much Bobby Knight in me," he mused with a smile.

Baker played basketball until about 20 years ago.

"We won some (state) amateur basketball tournament with Barley Pop and Nodak Mutual," he recalled.

Paul Presthus and Phil Jackson ruled the roost during Baker's high school basketball days at Minot High. He graduated high school in 1964 and moved onto Minot State where he played basketball and baseball, graduating in 1968.

While playing college basketball he scored 47 points in a game against Dickinson State. "At the time it was a Minot State record," he said.

Baker was an All-American basketball player for the Beavers.

Baker said Dickinson State was a constant stumbling block for the Beaver basketball team. "At that time there was no tournament. Only the (regular season) conference champion advanced to the playoffs," he said.

And each of Baker's four years at Minot State that champion was Dickinson.

"We never could get past Dickinson State. Bob Waldal, Duane Heckaman and Tony Wald were on those teams," he said.

In baseball, however, the Beavers made it into post-season play. "Three of the four years I played we moved on to the area or regional tournament. One year we were one win from going to the (NAIA) national tournament," Baker said.

Upon graduation from Minot State, Baker went into teaching. He remained in the classroom until his retirement last spring.

When Baker broke into officiating in 1969 he worked a lot of games with John Thompson. The next few years he officiated with Bill Hurley, Bruce Bremer and Dennis Berryman. It was probably Henry Milkey who exerted the greatest influence on his career as referee, though.

"Henry kind of took me under his wing. ¦ He got me more exposure in the Class A and college ranks," Baker said.

Girls basketball, boys basketball, college men's and women's basketball and amateur basketball, Baker has called them all. He even got in a few years of pro officiating in days of the Minot Snowbears and the International Basketball Association.

Jeff Risk has been a frequent officiating partner in recent years.

Baker said his health is good and he probably could have kept refereeing another year to make it an even 40. However, a friend of his who lives in Hawaii wants him to go to the islands next year and help with the construction of a cabin. So it will be Hawaii instead of another Minot winter.

Baker has been inducted into the Minot High School, Minot State and the state amateur basketball halls of fame.

Looking back, Baker said he probably sat on the low-whistle end of the referee's spectrum.

"I tend to let them play. That's been my M.O. over the years," he said.

(Steve Thomas is a Tribune sportswriter)