YANKEE NOTES

Joe Torre said little yesterday about any discussions with George Steinbrenner about extending his contract. But he sure didn’t sound like a man ready for retirement when he said, “I’d rather stay a year too long than leave a year too early. Once I go, that’s it. I’m not coming back in my mid-60s trying to manage.”

Torre also said he thought Paul O’Neill still has a lot left in his tank. The 38-year-old right fielder – whom is widely assumed to be retiring after this season – crushed a two-run homer into the upper deck in the fourth inning.

“O’Neill killed it,” Torre said. “Every time O’Neill goes 0-for-4, we all scratch our heads and ask if this is his last year, then he hits a home run like that and he’s back.”

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When O’Neill and Tino Martinez both hit upper-deck home runs in the fourth inning, it was the Yankees’ fifth two-homer inning of the season. Martinez (3-for-4) hit his 249th career home run.

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Torre was ejected in the top of the eighth inning by home plate umpire Rob Drake after Jay Witasick was warned for throwing inside to Jose Cruz Jr.

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Mel Stottlemyre was back yesterday after missing three straight games with bronchitis. Stottlemyre, who had a stem-cell transplant last year for bone-marrow cancer, had been given clearance to return for Old Timer’s Day, but Torre wanted to keep him away from the crowded clubhouse.

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Mariano Rivera, whose MRI on his ankle Friday turned up clean, may be fitted for orthodics today. . . . The delay in getting the World Series rings to the Yankees was caused by a late decision to stay with Balfour over Tiffany’s for the rings.