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Someone told me around '96 people would stop him on the streets about it and he was actually coerced into playing it.

That's a pity if he was. Balto is a great movie and the character is quiet but relatable to fellow shysters or just people who have identity problems.

There is no point in listening to rumors and scuttlebutt until you have seen some official and verified statement from either Kevin Bacon himself, or someone connected with the production. There is absolutely no evidence of this, and nobody has ever mentioned it here (or anywhere else that I've ever seen) before.

If you believed every rumor that floats around concerning Hollywood and its many odd personalities, you wouldn't know which way was up.

Okay

Well, whoever they got to voice Balto in the second and third film didn't sound very excited. I guess maybe Kevin was voice Tremor 3...? I dunno.

Frankly, Kevin Bacon is not known for emotional range in his voice acting. He's very deadpan. Almost as bad as Kevin Costner. I think Maurice LaMarche, who played Balto in both sequels, emoted better than Bacon did. Much better.

I don't know where you're getting this notion that Maurice LaMarche "didn't sound very excited". What was he supposed to be doing? Sounding ridiculously-giddy? That would have ruined it. LaMarche is a veteran voice actor. He knows how to emote with his voice, and make it sound realistic instead of cartoony (unless cartoony is the intent of a character he's playing. And cartoony definitely WASN'T what they wanted for Balto).

And what is "Tremor 3"? What are you talking about? If you are referring to "Tremors 3: Back To Perfection" the movie, then you'd be mistaken...no matter which "voice" you were referring to (and, since this was a live-action movie, I don't know why you'd be referring to a "voice"): http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0259685/fullcredits?ref_=tt_cl_sm#cast

I've never understood his mindset toward that role. I guess his priorities are different, but personally I can't see anything I'd rather do than inspire the next generation (well, maybe one thing), and that's what Balto did.