BASEBALL NOTEBOOK: BRAVES TRADE LEFTY NEAGLE TO GET BOONE : SLICK FIELDER FROM CINCY SHOULD ALSO BE BOON BATTING.

Byline: Daily News Wire Services

The Atlanta Braves began retooling their roster Tuesday by acquiring Gold Glove second baseman Bret Boone from the Cincinnati Reds for starter Denny Neagle and outfielder Michael Tucker.

The Braves also got left-handed reliever Mike Remlinger and gave up minor-league pitcher Rob Bell.

Neagle, 30, went 16-11 with a 3.55 ERA last season, when he was one of five Atlanta starters to win at least 16 games.

Nine teams approached the Reds about Boone, who won his first Gold Glove and made his first All-Star team last season. Boone, 29, led the Reds with 24 homers and 95 RBI, all career highs.

Grieve consequence: Ben Grieve couldn't have faced much loftier expectations as a rookie. A former first-round draft pick and minor-league player of the year, Grieve was counted on to deliver immediately for the Oakland Athletics.

And deliver he did. Grieve met all of the expectations this year and was rewarded by easily winning the AL Rookie of the Year.

``I was hoping I would get it the whole year,'' Grieve said of the award. ``I tried not to think of it too much. But it got kind of old listening to all the talk.''

The 22-year-old right fielder was the only candidate named on all 28 ballots. He received 23 first-place votes and five seconds to finish with 130 points in balloting by the Baseball Writers of America.

Grieve, whose father Tom played in the majors and was once general manager of the Texas Rangers, led AL rookies with 168 hits, 18 home runs, 94 runs, 41 doubles and 89 RBI. He led the club in on-base percentage, at-bats, hits, doubles, walks and was second in runs. He batted .288 and made just two errors in the outfield.

Souvenir trove: The commissioner's office has purchased a large part of Barry Halper's memorabilia collection and is donating it to the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y.

Among the items in Halper's collection are uniforms worn by Ty Cobb, Walter Johnson, Cy Young and Mickey Mantle (during his rookie year in 1951); the contract finalizing the sale of Babe Ruth from the Boston Red Sox to the New York Yankees, and a Honus Wagner T-206 baseball card.

Halper, a limited partner of the New York Yankees, will receive about $7.5 million, according to a source who spoke on the condition he not be identified.

Rich get pennants: Unless you spent, you lost in baseball this year.

Only one team with a payroll of more than $48 million had a losing record - the Baltimore Orioles, who went 79-83 despite spending a record $74 million on players, according to figures compiled by management's Player Relations Committee.

Conversely, only one team with a payroll of less than $47 million had a winning record. The Toronto Blue Jays were 88-74 and spent $37.3 million, according to the report, which was circulated at the general managers' meeting in Naples, Fla., and obtained by the AP.

Giants deal: The San Francisco Giants acquired left-handed reliever Alan Embree from the Arizona Diamondbacks for outfielder Dante Powell.

Lynch-pin: The Chicago Cubs have extended the contract of Ed Lynch, the general manager and vice president whose offseason deals helped take the team from last place to the playoffs.

The agreement announced Tuesday will keep Lynch with the team through 2001.

Brosius signs: World Series Most Valuable Player Scott Brosius signed a three-year contract with the Yankees, four days after the free-agent third baseman agreed to the pact.

AL ROOKIE OF THE YEAR

Voting for the 1998 American League Rookie of the Year Award, with first-, second- and third-place votes and total points on a 5-3-1 basis:

Player, team 1st 2nd 3rd Tot

Ben Grieve, Oak 23 5 - 130

Rolando Arrojo, TB 4 10 11 61

Mike Caruso, Chi - 9 7 34

Orlando Hernandez, NY 1 4 8 25

Magglio Ordonez, Chi - - 1 1

Sidney Ponson, Bal - - 1 1

CAPTION(S):

Photo, Box

PHOTO Oakland's Ben Grieve

BOX: AL ROOKIE OF THE YEAR (see text)