Mark, I have never been HBP as much as I have been in the last 2 months. I started showing up with steel toe tennis shoes and shin pads - in the last 5 weeks I have had 2 toes severely broken, and I took one in the mouth last night. Bobby 'ordered' me to buy a mask at the last practice and I have - its supposed to be here Monday (next) - a friend who helped me last night, lent me one until then. He told me about Gary having a near miss afterwhich he used a mask.
I'm glad I'm not the age I am now with the eyes I have now catching a pitcher north of 60 with movement. I take my hat off to guys like you and Gary catching as long as you did with no gear. I can think of one more piece of equipment you might want to invest in.
Whenever I caught a rise ball from a men's pitcher or even a good female rise ball pitcher, I caught it slightly off to the side of my head. I'd heard stories and I figured with no mask and no runner to worry about, why not.