Is the multiverse real? Sometimes I wonder, because I’ll have these moments — maybe you experience them, too — when it feels like a portal has opened and I’ve stumbled into a slightly deformed version of reality. Like I know it, but I don’t.

Well, last night, I kept rubbing my eyes in disbelief at the scenes inside Citizens Bank Park, unsure if I was dreaming. Prior to the game’s first pitch, the Phillies held a special on-field ceremony for their Hometown Hero program. And who did the Phils pick as their latest inductee?

Rochelle Bilal, the scandal-ridden leader of the Philadelphia Sheriff’s Office.

Really, Phillies?

Hometown Hero recognizes local military personnel, community leaders, and public servants. Before the game, Sheriff Bilal strolled onto the field wearing a Bryce Harper jersey and swung an honorary bat, all while a short resume flashed on the big screen for the stadium to see: “1st elected African-American woman sheriff of the Philadelphia Sheriff’s Office,” it noted in part.

But the bio left out a few key details every Philadelphian should know and hold to account, such as her office’s alleged financial mismanagement — including the creation of a $9,000 mascot; the lawsuits accusing her office of mucking up real estate deals; the fabrications that once appeared on her reelection website. I could go on … But you can read all about the scandalous office shenanigans here.

Whatever you think of Bilal, it’s hard not to admire the hustle. Nothing seems to keep the sheriff down. She displays a rare form of political alchemy, an ability to turn a bunch of negative headlines into public relations gold. The Hometown Hero award came only a few months after City Council honored Bilal for her community service. And yet, in between those celebrations, there were more controversies — including a rare public rebuke of Bilal by a group of local judges, who’ve been threatening to curtail the powers of the sheriff’s office.

Or maybe the latest award is simply a sign that the sheriff is turning over a new leaf. Earlier this month, the office rolled out a brand new digital platform for sheriff’s auctions, which is meant to bring transparency and efficiency to the public sale of tax-delinquent properties.

Is that progress? Maybe. But the recent history of the office suggests we shouldn’t hold our breath.

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