NEW YORK — He was baseball's bombastic Boss.

He rebuilt the New York Yankees dynasty, ushering in the era of multimillion-dollar salaries and accepting nothing less in return than World Series championships.

He fired managers. Rehired them. And fired them again.

He butted heads with commissioners and fellow owners, insulted his players and dominated tabloid headlines — even upstaging the All-Star Game on the day of his death.

George Michael Steinbrenner III, who both inspired and terrorized the Yankees in more than three decades as owner, died on Tuesday of a heart attack at age 80.

"He was and always will be as much of a New York Yankee as Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra, Whitey Ford and all of the other Yankee legends," baseball commissioner Bud Selig said.

Once reviled by fans for his overbearing and tempestuous nature, Steinbrenner mellowed in his final decade and became beloved by employees and rivals alike for his success.

Steinbrenner was taken from his home to St Joseph's Hospital in Tampa, Fla, and died about 6:30 am, a person close to the owner said. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the team had not disclosed those details.

"George was a fierce competitor who was the perfect fit for the city that never sleeps — colorful, dynamic and always reaching for the stars," former President Bill Clinton said.

Yankees captain Derek Jeter said: "He expected perfection."