Bernie Williams had a perfect opportunity Wednesday to quiet the fears of Yankee fans by announcing that, all things being equal, he wanted to remain a Yankee. He did not. In fact, he only

heightened those fears by saying that after he becomes a free agent this winter, the Yankees have only the same chance as anybody else of signing him. “Their chances are as good as any other

team’s,” Williams said before going 0 for 4 in the 3-0 victory. “I have a lot of good memories, and will those weigh in my decision? Yes. But there’s also been a lot of things that have

gone on between the parties.” Some of those things have been messy arbitration hearings. Another thing occurred when the Yankees’ first offer to Williams--about $37 million for five