George Steinbrenner, the mercurial and free-spending owner of the New York Yankees who presided over the restoration of one of the great franchises in professional sports after turning it into baseball’s version of a soap opera, has died. He was 80.

He died today in Tampa, Florida, according to a statement by his family. He suffered a heart attack, the Associated Press reported. Major League Baseball is in the midst of its annual midseason break for the All-Star Game, being played tonight in Anaheim, California.

The man known as “The Boss” took baseball by storm in his 37-year tenure, helping to usher in free agency and multimillion-dollar contracts, changing managers 24 times and serving two suspensions.